Faster Than a Kiss
by bluebirdeyes
Summary: Yuuri needed a place to stay, and Viktor needed a babysitter, so Yuuri moved in. That's how it started, but it doesn't take long for Yuuri to notice his relationship with Viktor progressing beyond the professional into something frankly a little intimate. Even if this isn't dating, whatever it is, it's already too late to turn back. College AU
1. Chapter 1

Long summary:

Yuuri and Viktor aren't dating. Sure, they're living together, and they're affectionate, and there are those rings, but they are most definitely _not_ romantically involved. Nope.

Viktor is the most well-known person on campus. He is also providing Yuuri with free room and board in exchange for help taking care of his little brother Yurio. He is Yuuri's TA and client and landlord all rolled into one; there's no way Yuuri would dare to date him. That would be a recipe for disaster and they both know it. But it doesn't take long for Yuuri to notice his relationship with Viktor progressing beyond the professional into something frankly a little intimate. Even if this isn't dating, whatever it is, it's already too late to turn back.

* * *

 **DISCLAIMER: Yes, this story borrows a few things from the manga by the same name. No, the stories don't have much to do with each other. But the manga follows a romance between a high school student and a teacher so I wanted to be upfront about this so people don't look it up and get unpleasantly surprised. As for why I read that manga in the first place, it was many, many years ago when I was still a kid myself so idk. For whatever reason a few scenes from it recently popped into my head as plot bunnies that just wouldn't quit, so here I am. Not a warning for the fic itself, but I thought it notable enough to mention and a note at the beginning was the best way to do it.**

 **Now that that's out of the way. This story recently took over my life. I had to get it out of my system so I could get back to my ongoing epic in another fandom. Some things are a little contrived to make it work, but I hope it's still enjoyable!**

* * *

Yuuri sat in the last row of seats in his introductory linguistics class, tapping his pen impatiently against his forefinger as the TA took roll. He loved this class, he really did. Principles of Linguistics was taught by Yakov Feltsman, who was notoriously strict but a good professor. Yuuri's section of this course, though, was a little special; much of the class was run by his smart, capable TA: Viktor Nikiforov. And it was Viktor whom Yuuri didn't know how to handle.

If Yuuri hadn't known to look for it, he almost would have missed the slight way the corners of Viktor's lips quirked up when he glanced at the next name on his list.

"Yuuri Katsuki?"

"Here," Yuuri called.

Viktor marked him down as present, and that was that. But Yuuri's heart was pounding in his chest. He _really_ didn't know how to handle Viktor.

Next to him, his best friend Phichit snickered and leaned in. "Try to tone down the obvious crush a little," he whispered, grinning. "You're making heart eyes."

Yuuri pushed Phichit's shoulder. "Shut up."

Phichit giggled quietly again but let it drop. Yuuri could make heart eyes all he wanted; no one would fault him for it, certainly. Viktor was extremely popular. He was the student president, smart, outgoing, witty, handsome, and overall the most well-known and well-loved person on campus. Yuuri could admire him from afar and no one would give him a second glance. But if anyone noticed that small smile Viktor gave before Yuuri's name fell from his lips, Yuuri would be in trouble.

* * *

"I'm home!" Yuuri called into the large, empty apartment as he closed the front door behind him. Silence greeted him. He slipped off his shoes and padded into the apartment with socked feet. His bookbag flung onto a chair, he went straight to the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves, and got to work.

Twenty minutes later, he shuffled his feet into some slippers and went to the apartment nextdoor. After a few quick knocks, the door opened.

Chris grinned when he saw Yuuri standing there. He leaned against the doorjam. "Hey, hot stuff. Fancy seeing you here."

"Hi, Chris." Yuuri peeked around Chris into the apartment.

"The brat's putting on his shoes," Chris said.

"How was he today?"

Chris snorted. "You sound like a parent. He learned about butterflies today in kindergarten."

"The caterpillars go into a chrysalis and come out butterflies!" came a child's voice from inside the apartment. Small feet ran toward the entrance and barreled into Yuuri's legs.

"Wow. You should tell me about it later." Yuuri mussed the mop of blond hair below him. "Did you have a good day today, Yurio?"

Yurio looked up and scowled. "Not my name."

"You said you didn't want to have the same name as me."

Yurio thought for a moment. He always complained about the nickname, but whenever he was reminded why it existed in the first place, it didn't take long for him to claim is as his own all over again.

"Okay," Yurio said. "I'll be Yurio. And you can be Katsudon."

Yuuri smiled. "That's very fair," he said. He glanced up at Chris, who was still standing in the doorway watching them with amusement. "Dinner tonight is just ravioli and broccoli, if you want some."

Chris waved off the offer. "Thanks, but I already have plans."

"Is Chris having a party without us again?" Yurio asked.

"I'm hanging out with a friend," Chris confirmed.

"You never invite me," Yurio complained.

Chris laughed. "I hang out with you plenty already. You had me all day today after kindergarten. You and Yuuri can come over this weekend for dinner. How's that?"

Yurio nodded. "That's acceptable."

"That's acceptable," Chris mimicked. "Cheeky brat. Go on, shoo, your dinner's getting cold."

"Thanks, Chris," Yuuri said.

Chris put up a hand in acknowledgement and closed the door. Yurio ran one door over and Yuuri opened it for him.

"Shoes," Yuuri said.

"Yeah, yeah." Yurio took off his shoes in the doorway.

"Wash your hands first. I'll serve the food."

"Is Viktor coming?"

"He has a student government meeting and a group project so he'll be late tonight. It's just us."

Yurio nodded. He looked disappointed for a moment, but turned his head away from Yuuri to hide it. "I'll wash my hands."

"Okay."

Yuuri watched Yurio run off to the bathroom, shedding his backpack and jacket as he went. Yuuri absently picked up after him.

Yuri Plisetsky. Nickname: Yurio. The kid Yuuri spent most of his free time babysitting. A prickly, skittish kid with a short temper, but sweet and cute once you got to know him. Also, Viktor Nikiforov's younger half-brother.

Yuuri still wasn't sure how all this had happened. The week Phichit and Yuuri's apartment building got closed down was a whirlwind of confusion. An inspection revealed structural damage that required all tenants to evacuate and move elsewhere. As foreigners who'd neglected to get renter's insurance, Yuuri and Phichit were stranded. They ended up with Phichit's friends, who really only had enough space for one more roommate, so Yuuri felt like an intruder. That's when Viktor recognized Yuuri as one of his students around campus one day, made idle small talk, and found out through that small talk that Yuuri was looking for a new place to stay. It just so happened that Viktor had an extra room he seldom used, and that Yuuri had experience babysitting and helping with his parents' inn back in Japan. So just like that, Yuuri moved his things from Phichit's friends' place to Viktor's, and now he was a live-in housekeeper/babysitter in exchange for free shelter.

Insane, really. Spontaneous, impulsive, reckless. But Yuuri had been desperate, and Viktor was so generous and so insistent. And now, a few months later, Yuuri wasn't sure what Viktor was to him anymore. A famous upperclassman, a teacher, a benefactor, and now…?

"Hey, Katsudon, I'm hungry." Yurio was already seated at the small island in the kitchen, a fork and knife in each hand, staring intently at Yuuri's back.

Yuuri shook himself out of his thoughts. "Right, sorry. I zoned out for a second there."

"Don't zone out. I want food."

"I cooked for you, and I don't even get a thank you?"

"Thanks." The word was mumbled, as usual, but Yuuri smiled.

"Here you are." Yuuri put two plates on the island and sat down next to Yurio, taking off his apron in a swift motion as he did so. "Eat your broccoli first, before it gets cold."

"I hate broccoli."

"You need your vegetables. And isn't it better to save the best for last?"

Yurio scowled, but grudgingly stabbed a spear of broccoli and stuffed it in his mouth with a huff.

For whatever reason, Yurio actually listened to Yuuri, which was why Viktor had become so insistent on Yuuri staying in their apartment. When Yuuri had first visited to look at the room, Yurio made some snide comment in Russian, thinking Yuuri wouldn't understand it, but Yuuri had taught himself a bit of Russian back in high school and happened to know the particular words Yurio used. Somehow that incident had granted Yuuri respect from the kid. Yurio was still blunt, but he listened when Yuuri told him to do something.

Yuuri glanced sideways at the small ball of anger sitting next to him. Yurio was a good kid at heart. Yuuri still wasn't entirely sure what happened to his and Viktor's family, but Yurio's acting out was likely his way of coping with loneliness. Viktor was fairly young himself, and had raised Yurio alone for years now, relying heavily on babysitters that he paid for with his inheritance. That was no way for a kid to grow up.

"I wanna watch the skating people tonight," Yurio said abruptly before shoving a forkful of ravioli into his mouth.

"Eat more slowly. Chew," Yuuri reminded him. "And that's fine. It starts at 7, right? It'll go past your bedtime, but I think your brother won't mind if we make an exception for tonight."

Yurio nodded. "Good," he said, mouth full. Then, more quietly: "Thanks."

That night, Yuuri tried in vain to get some homework done while simultaneously watching the figure skating competition and engaging Yurio in commentary about it.

"Did you see, did you see?" Yurio was jumping up and down pointing at the screen.

"I saw. That was a great jump."

"He was so high! I'm gonna do that too someday."

"You sure will. Keep practicing hard at your lessons and when you're older you can do all the jumps you want," Yuuri said.

"Coach says I'm too little still," Yurio complained.

"Your coach is right. Jumps are bad for kids who are still growing. You'll have to wait until you're taller to do them. But perfecting the basics first will make you even better later, so keep at it. You're already really good."

"I can hop though! I hopped once! And I landed with both feet!" He demonstrated, a tiny bunny hop that didn't look like much but was honestly way more than Yuuri could manage on skates.

"Yes you did, and I'm super impressed."

"Oh, he's spinning!"

This homework was _not_ getting done. When was Viktor getting home?

As if he read Yuuri's mind, Viktor arrived just then, swinging the apartment door open with a flourish and bursting into the living room. He swept his arms open in a grand gesture of greeting.

"Yuri! Yuuri! I'm home!"

"Welcome home," Yuuri said, trying not to laugh at Viktor's trademark theatrics. It was rather endearing in Yuuri's eyes, but Yurio hated it.

"Quiet! I'm watching!" Yurio said, eyes not straying from the screen.

Viktor pouted, but then turned to Yuuri with a smile. "What did you have for dinner? The student gov meeting went late and I'm starving."

"Ravioli and broccoli. I left you a plate in the fridge, so you can just stick that in the microwave. If you need more, there's leftovers too."

"Yuuri, you're the best!" Viktor leapt forward and tackled Yuuri in a brief, hard hug. Then he was off like a whirlwind to finally close the front door and take off his shoes, leaving Yuuri frazzled and blushing. Viktor was a force of nature and Yuuri wasn't sure he'd ever get used to it.

A few minutes later, Viktor settled down next to Yuuri on the couch with a plate of food in one hand and a textbook in the other.

"Isn't it past Yurio's bedtime?" he said, making himself comfortable. Yuuri shifted a bit to make room.

"Yeah, but I told him he could watch this. I thought you wouldn't mind. I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, it's completely fine. Do you know when it will end? He does have kindergarten in the morning."

Yuuri glanced at the clock. "I think there's one more skater after this one gets his scores, so…five minutes?"

"Then it's more than fine. Yuri, who's winning?"

"Yurio," Yuuri prompted when Yurio didn't turn around.

"Me?"

"Little Yuri," Viktor elaborated, smiling. "Who's winning?"

Yurio pointed at the screen, where they were showing a table of where the skaters ranked so far. "They say it right here, idiot."

Viktor read the words on the screen. "Oh, this is the Junior World Championships? How exciting! I didn't realize they'd come up already."

"Today is the men's short program," Yuuri said. "Yurio's scoping out the competition for when he becomes a world-class figure skater, aren't you, Yurio?"

"That's right," Yurio said. "I'm gonna beat all these losers into the dust."

Viktor leaned back into the couch cushions and sighed. "I really don't know where he learns how to say things like that."

"School, probably."

Viktor looked at Yuuri sharply. He leaned in, expression serious. "Yuuri. Do you think he should be homeschooled?"

Yuuri barked a laugh. "Stop being overdramatic. He's a normal kid. Let it be."

"No, not that. I want him to know Russian, but I stopped speaking it in the house so he could get used to the English at school. Was that bad? What if he forgets all of it?"

Yuuri glanced at Yurio, who was already too absorbed in the next skater's program to listen to what they were saying behind him. "He doesn't seem to be struggling in school at all, so his English is probably fine for his age. I can't help with his Russian, but if you want him to practice it, you should speak it with him. Or we can try to find a class or tutor for him since you're not home much."

Viktor gasped, his face lighting up. "Yuuri, you're a genius! What did I ever do without you?"

Yuuri laughed nervously. "Um…thanks?"

"Yakov's ex-wife is Professor Baranovskaya, the Russian professor! Yakov already likes me, so maybe she'll be willing to help out as a personal favor!"

"Does…does she do private tutoring? Of kids?"

"I don't know, but it can't hurt to ask!"

Viktor and his endless optimism. Well, few people were able to resist Viktor's natural charisma, so maybe he'd be successful. But the only thing Yuuri knew about the school's Russian language program was that the main professor was a real demon. That information was part of why Yuuri hadn't chosen Russian as his foreign language class.

The conversation about teaching Yurio Russian came to an abrupt end as the child in question started tugging on Viktor's arm, irritated. "Vik-tor! You're not watching! He did a cool jump and you weren't watching!"

"Sorry, sorry," Viktor said, instantly in doting older brother mode. "Was it really cool? Do you think they'll show a replay?"

"It was _really_ cool. I think he's gonna win first place."

"Wow!"

With both brothers occupied by discussion of the skating competition, Yuuri tried to get a little bit of work done before he was drawn back into the conversation.

At times like this, with Viktor and Yurio chattering next to him as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he could almost forget that he was a stranger in this house. He could almost forget that the buzzing awareness he felt all down his left side was the symptom of an inappropriate crush on his benefactor. Even if only for a few moments, he could relish in the comfortable atmosphere of family.

* * *

Once they got Yurio to bed, it was time for the two young adults to get to work. Yuuri sat on the floor at the coffee table with his language workbooks, Viktor behind him stretched out on the couch with a textbook. The time they spent doing their homework together was generally a quiet affair. Both of them had sharp focus and a thorough work ethic, keeping the both of them preoccupied in mutual concentration.

"Yuuri, don't go for a TESOL certification," Viktor said, breaking the peaceful silence.

"I'm not; I'm thinking about TEFL."

"Close enough, same thing. Don't do it. The textbooks are boring as hell."

Yuuri glanced up and back at Viktor, meeting his eyes. He looked forlorn. "Need a break?"

"I need to finish the reading," Viktor said, but he kept staring pitifully at Yuuri, which was Viktor-speak for, "yes, I need a break."

Yuuri put down his pencil and linked his fingers for a long stretch. He leaned back, accidentally resting his head against Viktor's bent knee. He let it stay there, pretending the casual contact didn't make his heart jump.

"Want to do something?" he asked. "Or do you want to talk about your day? You said the meeting ran late."

Viktor saved the page in his textbook and sat up excitedly, his eyes shining, a look Yuuri knew well at this point. There was a story to tell. Viktor drew his legs up and sat properly on the couch, making room for Yuuri to lift himself up onto the opposite cushion.

"So you know Georgi Popovich, right?"

"Oh no."

Viktor grinned. "Oh yes. He broke up with his girlfriend last week—"

"Oh _no_."

Viktor's grin widened. "—and he wanted me to put out a message from the Student President asking her to give him another chance to talk things out with her. An official notice. Straight-faced, absolutely serious."

"What the heck?"

"Right? But that's Georgi. He's even more overdramatic and ridiculous than me, so I brushed it off as just the usual dramatics. But he brought it up again at the meeting today, and of course everyone laughed at him, but then he started absolutely _weeping_. I wanted to ignore him and let him cry it out, but Mila felt bad, so she went over to comfort him. Now, Mila is her own brand of unreasonable…"

Viktor told his story with waving hands and an ever-changing expression as Yuuri listened and laughed. These types of stories were Yuuri's own special privilege. Viktor had a public image to uphold, but here in private with Yuuri, he relaxed and gossiped to his heart's content. He could whine about dealing with stuck-up administrators and self-entitled students, and his complaints would be safe with Yuuri. Not that his personality changed, but it wouldn't exactly be professional of him to gossip about Georgi with the others in student government. And though he was always spirited and theatrical, he was never unprofessional.

Yuuri hadn't noticed until he lived with him, but Viktor didn't seem to have many friends. He was on friendly terms with pretty much everyone, especially his colleagues in student government, but once when Yuuri asked if Viktor wanted him to take Yurio out sometime so Viktor could have friends over, Viktor had stared blankly for a moment before flashing a smile and telling him there was no need.

"If anything, Chris likes it when Yurio's with us," Viktor had said.

"But your other friends," Yuuri insisted.

Viktor's smile was tight. "Mm…if such a thing ever comes up, I'll let you know. How's that?"

Yuuri wasn't always the best at judging people, but it hadn't taken long for him to figure out that Viktor didn't have close friends other than Chris. He kept everyone at an arm's length, and at first even Yuuri had felt a wall between Viktor and himself before something shifted and Viktor started opening up. It was strange. Yuuri, plain old Yuuri Katsuki, had somehow managed to become _the_ Viktor Nikiforov's second-best friend.

As Viktor finished up his tale, he fell dramatically across Yuuri's lap and decided to do the rest of his reading like that. So Yuuri leaned over Viktor to get his workbook from the coffee table and used Viktor's back as a table to finish his own work. He was so focused that he didn't even notice when Viktor finished reading, and when he finally looked up, Viktor was peacefully asleep in his lap, using the textbook as a pillow.

Yuuri set his books aside and considered how to wake Viktor up. His broad back was lying exposed across Yuuri's legs, and he could easily smack it a couple times to hit Viktor awake, like he and Mari always did to each other. Of course, there was always the polite shoulder-shaking method, which Yuuri decided was the better choice.

He took an indulgent moment to touch Viktor's hair, his bangs splayed over the open textbook. The strands were soft, just as he'd imagined they'd be. Then he put a hand on Viktor's shoulder.

"Viktor. Viktor, hey, wake up."

Viktor grumbled sleepily and scrunched his face before blinking awake. "I fell asleep?"

"Yeah. Did you have anything to do other than your reading?"

Viktor shook his head, lifting himself up on his palms and stretching before shuffling off of Yuuri. "I did most of my work between classes. I have to find research for a paper, but that's not due until next week so I have time." He yawned loudly.

"Go to bed then. I'll clean up."

"Nooo, you don't have to."

"Viktor, it's how I pay rent. Let me do my job. It won't take long. You get some rest."

Viktor frowned. "Okay. Goodnight, Yuuri." He leaned forward and pressed a silent kiss to the side of Yuuri's hair before shuffling off to his bedroom.

Yuuri sat frozen on the couch.

Was that…was that a _kiss?_ Had Yuuri just gotten a goodnight kiss from Viktor? Was that what just happened?

Impossible. What? No. What?

Yuuri touched his fingers to the side of his head where Viktor's lips had touched, the sensation of them still tingling on his skin. What did this mean? Had Viktor meant to do that? He was still half asleep, after all, and probably hadn't been thinking clearly. Maybe he was just treating big Yuuri the same as he treated little Yuri. Viktor kissed Yurio on the head all the time.

Yuuri groaned and curled up over his knees, hands tightly gripping the top of the workbook on his lap. Just that small gesture had Yuuri emotional enough that he was actually tearing up. He'd only been here two months, but two months was more than long enough for Yuuri to develop a full and proper crush.

He took a deep breath and got himself under control. He was here to do chores, run errands, and take care of Yurio. Not to catch feelings. Sure, Viktor was hot. And single. And gay. And sweet, and funny, and smart, and—

 _Control yourself, Yuuri. He's your client. He's practically your boss. And he teaches one of your classes._

Yuuri slapped his face between his cheeks as if to discipline his traitorous heart. He couldn't go to bed until he'd finished his housekeeping duties, and the living room wasn't going to clean itself.

But even when the chores were done and Yuuri was warm in bed with his eyes closed, the kiss lingered.

That was the first time Yuuri realized he might be a little bit in love with Viktor Nikiforov.

* * *

 **A/N: Fun fact! In my original plans I had Yurio as the same age he was in the show, but 15-year-olds don't need as much attention and care as younger kids, so the babysitter premise would've been kinda extreme. But I needed _some_ reason for them to live together, and I've read child Yurio fics before, so Yurio became a child. Sorry, Yurio. I also have no idea how to write children. I'm _really_ sorry, Yurio...**

 **I've been writing this story for around two months now and I'm fairly close to finishing. Expect weekly updates.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: This is the worst-written chapter in the whole story tbh so please have patience with me T-T**

* * *

Mornings went like this:

Yuuri would wake up to his third alarm while Viktor was out on a run. He got up half-asleep, hair messy and pajamas askew, to make breakfast with which to bribe Yurio awake. Viktor was a morning person, but Yurio was decidedly not, no matter how early his bedtime. So Yuuri often carried Yurio out of bed and seated him at the island to eat.

Halfway through eating breakfast, Yurio would fully wake up and Viktor would be back from his run. They finished up their meal together, then Viktor went to his room to shower while Yuuri got Yurio ready for kindergarten.

Dressing Yurio was always a nightmare; his fashion sense was terrible, as was typical for his age, and he'd been on a big cats kick for the past year so he always went straight for the animal prints he wheedled Viktor into buying. Other than that, he wore a lot of blacks and reds, so by the end of it Yuuri would have him dressed up in jeans, a graphic tee, and a black sweatshirt, looking every bit the little punk he was.

Yuuri's morning duties stopped there. Viktor was adamant about being the one to send Yurio to kindergarten. They spent so little time with each other during the school year, so he wanted to at least be the one to bring him to school. So Yuuri was left alone in the house for a bit to clean up and get ready for classes.

Chris's classes started at the same time as Yuuri's, so they usually walked to school together. Yuuri liked Chris well enough, and enjoyed swapping stories about the brothers' antics. But sometimes, Yuuri didn't know how to handle Chris's…directness.

"You mean you two haven't banged?"

"Chris, what the heck?" All Yuuri wanted to know was Viktor's type, figuring Chris would know what kinds of men Viktor tended to date, and this was what it immediately devolved into.

"I'm serious! I thought you two were already together."

"It's nothing like that."

"You're living together!"

"In exchange for me being a housekeeper and babysitter!"

"But you like him!"

"So?"

"So bang him!"

"CHRIS!"

Chris crossed his arms. "Really, though. He hasn't touched you?"

"Not like that," Yuuri said, feeling his cheeks burn. Viktor was affectionate sometimes, sure, but not in _that_ way.

Chris whistled. "Man's got some killer self-control."

"Chris, please. I'm his brother's babysitter, and his student. That would be inappropriate."

"He's just a TA, it's fine."

"Anyway, if something goes wrong, then I'm out of a place to live and Yurio's alone again. No matter what my personal feelings on the matter are, it's not even worth considering."

"You're too serious, Yuuri. Viktor likes you. I can tell that much. You'd have to be blind not to see it."

Yuuri fought a smile at the suggestion, but at the same time, it was a terrifying notion. "Chris…"

"I know you don't want attention on campus, and you're worried about Yurio. I get it. I do. But Viktor's just a person who needs love the same as everyone else, not some untouchable god."

"The way some people treat him, you wouldn't know the difference," Yuuri mumbled.

"That's besides the point."

"No, that's entirely the point. We don't talk to each other on campus for that exact reason."

"Viktor would _love_ to talk to you on campus, but he refrains because he knows you're nervous about people knowing you're living together. If it weren't for that, he'd be all over you. He adores you. Dude thinks you're the best thing since sliced bread."

"I'm…I'm just me."

"Exactly. You're you. Look, Yuuri, you're an attractive man—"

"No."

"Yes. You are. Deal with it. You're cute, witty, nice, his brother likes you, you're _living together_ …"

"Chris, please, just drop it."

Chris shrugged and turned forward. "Well, if you ever want help seducing him, you know who to ask. I know all his weak points."

Yuuri stifled a smile. "If you do, why don't you seduce him yourself?"

"…would you be okay with that?"

"No." The answer came out embarrassingly fast.

"There, _now_ you're being honest."

Yuuri hid his face in his hands. "Just leave me alone," he whined.

Chris grinned. "Never."

Yuuri thought about what Chris said about Viktor liking him. He didn't think Chris would lie about something like that, and the two were best friends so Chris ought to know Viktor's feelings best. But on top of all the trepidation Yuuri had about getting attention, there was the inherent awkwardness of crushing on someone you're living with. It just wasn't a good situation, and it made the thought of their feelings being mutual quite frankly terrifying.

It might be strange to say, but Yuuri actually found the idea that his crush was one-sided a lot more comforting than the idea of his feelings being returned. Yuuri was well-practiced in one-sided feelings, so he had no problem admiring from afar. Admiring from up close was difficult but doable, and he was doing fine so far. Navigating the treacherous transition from friendship to romance, though? That was new and uncharted territory.

"By the way, to answer your question…" Chris started.

"It's fine," Yuuri said quickly. "I was just curious. It's not like I'm going to 'seduce him' or anything like that."

"Nope, I'm going to tell you. I think the hopeless romantic in him wants a relationship like something out of a novel— someone sweet and dynamic he can be himself around. They've gotta be good with kids, obviously, because of Yurio. Oh, and I found this out recently: he prefers sweethearts, but he likes it when they take control sometimes. He thinks it's hot or something. Gentle guy with a hidden spine of steel."

"So, not me," Yuuri said bitterly.

"So, exactly you," Chris countered. "You're assertive when you need to be. Have you seen his face when you sass him? You can practically see the hearts in his eyes."

"You're exaggerating."

"Not exaggerating. He likes to tease and make you blush, as I'm sure you've noticed, but the fact that you occasionally take him by surprise and tease him right back is probably his favorite thing ever. I can tell. I'm telling you, he likes people he can't predict. The poor guy lasted maybe a week before he was head over heels."

Yuuri pulled a face. He wasn't sure what Chris was seeing in Viktor, but it was definitely a misinterpretation. Viktor did like to tease Yuuri, but he did not make heart-eyes at him. Yuuri was the one making the heart-eyes.

"You'll believe me someday," Chris said.

Yuuri wasn't sure where he got his confidence.

* * *

Afternoons went like this:

Yuuri's last class of the day always ended by 4pm, after which he'd go get Yurio from his after-kindergarten program at the local YMCA. On days that Yuuri had other obligations, either Viktor or Chris would arrange to pick him up instead, but usually it was Yuuri who took a bus to the YMCA and brought Yurio home. They always picked him up at promptly 4:30pm. Even if the people in his life were always changing and Viktor wasn't always around in the afternoons, at least they could keep his schedule consistent.

Dinners usually consisted of Yuuri and Yurio alone in at the island in the kitchen. Viktor's classes ended around the same time, but he almost always had meetings or projects of some sort that kept him until after dark.

Over dinner, Yurio would chatter about his day while Yuuri listened and asked questions. Yurio was generally a quiet kid, but sometimes he liked to fill the emptiness of the house with his voice, going on about school and daycare for up to an hour before he started to run out of energy. At that point, he would be done eating, so Yuuri cleared the dishes, sat Yurio down in front of the TV, washed the dishes, and then joined Yurio for whatever he wanted to spend the time until bedtime doing. Sometimes it was just TV, sometimes he wanted to play with one toy or another, sometimes he just wanted to color. They'd play until 7:30pm, at which point Yuuri started the bedtime routine. Yurio was always in bed by 8; usually, Viktor didn't get home until at least 9.

"No Viktor today?" Yurio mumbled, already drowsy as Yuuri pulled a pajama shirt over his head.

"Sorry. Do you want to call him?"

Yurio shook his head. "It's okay." He looked up, suddenly remembering something. "Oh, yeah. The kids at the Y were saying they all have parents who are married. And married people need to have rings."

"That's true; most married couples exchange rings at the wedding to show how much they love each other." Yuuri wasn't sure where he was going with this.

"But you and Viktor don't have rings."

Yuuri's heart skipped a beat. Oh boy. How in the world was he going to explain this one?

"That's because Viktor and I aren't married," he said slowly.

Yurio frowned. "But two people who stay together are married, right?"

"Not always; sometimes they're just roommates. Young adults who aren't married often live with friends because it doesn't cost as much money. I lived with a different friend before I came here."

"Oh." Yurio seemed troubled by this revelation. He stared into space, still frowning.

"Were you worried because me and Viktor don't have rings?" Yuuri asked.

"I thought you would stay here forever," Yurio mumbled.

Yuuri's heart broke.

"Yurio, I don't need to have rings with Viktor to stay here, and I promise I won't leave anytime soon. Can you trust me?"

"…I made you rings though."

"What?"

"I forgot. They had pipe cleaners at the Y today, and I made rings. I don't want you to leave."

Yurio was putting Yuuri through all sorts of emotions tonight. He felt like tearing up. "Yurio, that's really sweet of you. Thank you."

Yurio looked up hopefully. "So you'll wear it?"

"You made it for me, so of course I will. Did you bring them home?"

"They're in my backpack."

Yuuri stood up. "You get in bed, okay? I'll be right back."

"Okay!"

Just as Yurio said, there were two somewhat squashed circles made out of twisted pipe cleaners in his backpack. He pulled them out and tried sliding one over his right ring finger, specifically avoiding the left. It was a little big, but with some strategic bending, it was comfortably snug. He hurried back into Yurio's room to show him. Yurio was lying down, but his head was upright and staring excitedly at the door when Yuuri entered.

Yuuri held out his hand to show off the ring. "It fits perfectly, Yurio. Thank you."

"Viktor too, Viktor too!"

"I'll tell him about it when he gets home. How about that?"

"But I wanna see."

"We'll both wear them in the morning. Viktor won't be home for a while tonight, so get some sleep, okay? I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight."

"Goodnight!"

In the hallway, Yuuri inspected the ring. He'd picked out the blue one of the two, blue being his favorite color; would Viktor mind having the pink one? He'd have to ask when he got home.

* * *

Yuuri had about a page left of his last reading when he heard the click of a key in the front door. He looked up briefly to greet Viktor as he entered.

"Yurio asleep?" Viktor said, dumping his bag on the ground next to the armchair and then collapsing into it with a long breath.

"Out like a light," he said. An idiom he learned from Phichit. He glanced at the clock, reading 10:47pm, and back at Viktor sinking languidly into the armchair. "Long day?"

Viktor sighed. "Very long. One of your classmates paid me a visit to complain about his bibliography grade. Honestly, it was obvious he did it the night before; it was terrible and wasn't formatted correctly. I have little hope for his final paper. That took up an hour."

"Oh god."

"He simply would not leave. Then— Oh, did Yurio make that?"

Viktor sat up curiously, his eyes looking at Yuuri's textbook…no, at his hand holding the book. Yuuri suddenly remembered he still had the ring on. He subconsciously drew his hand to his chest to hide it.

"A ring? What's the occasion? Did he propose?" Viktor's eyes were sparkling with amusement.

Yuuri laughed nervously, feeling a little lightheaded. "No. Actually…" He picked up the pink one from beside him and handed it to Viktor without meeting his eyes. "They're for both of us. He thought I'd leave if we're not married."

Viktor took it numbly. "Oh." He looked up, somewhat distressed. "I'm so sorry about that. I hope he didn't make you uncomfortable."

Yuuri's stomach twisted a bit. "It's fine," he muttered. "I don't really mind? I guess? I thought it was sweet of him to make something for me. I told him we'd both wear them tomorrow morning. He was really excited about it."

"If…if you're okay with that."

Yuuri nodded, biting his lip to fight a smile. He really didn't mind. It was just _very embarrassing_.

Viktor slide on the ring. Like Yuuri's, it was a bit misshapen, but he roughly got it to fit to the shape of his finger. He held it out, admiring it. "Perfect!"

"I told him I wouldn't leave even without the rings, but he was really excited to have us wear them, so if it's just for tomorrow, I think it'll be fine. It's something he made for us, after all."

"Whatever you think is best, dear _husband_ ," Viktor said and flashed a mischievous smile.

Yuuri's stomach did another little twist, but this time, it was in a good way.

* * *

Yurio was, of course, delighted when he was woken up to both Yuuri and Viktor wearing the rings. Yuuri thought it was worth the embarrassment just to see the excitement on Yurio's face to see his creations being put to good use.

The problem was that Yurio then expected them to _keep_ wearing them.

The first day, Yuuri took the pipe cleaners off for school and picked Yurio up like usual after classes, having forgotten about it. Well, Yurio didn't forget, and he was upset to see the ring gone. While Yuuri could put his foot down when he needed to, this time he couldn't resist indulging Yurio. After all, it was just a little pipe cleaner ring. He only had to wear it around Yurio, and Viktor didn't seem to mind doing the same.

But this went on until the weekend, and Yuuri was tired of the thing. Pipe cleaners were mostly soft and fuzzy, but the wiry ends were starting to poke and feel uncomfortable. And he'd like to not have to worry about taking it off and it keeping it dry when he did the dishes or washed his hands.

On Sunday while Viktor was out on an errand, Yuuri tried convincing Yurio yet again that the rings weren't necessary, putting a bit more authority behind his words this time. It didn't go well.

"Yurio, I'm not going to leave just because I took off the ring," Yuuri insisted.

"You will! Dedushka said he wouldn't leave but he did!"

Yuuri's heart kept breaking each time he tried to argue with Yurio. There was a better way to handle this, but he had no idea how, and he was panicking. Yurio had never been this stubborn before, and Yuuri knew it was because of the repeated traumas of losing his parents as an infant and his grandfather-figure as a toddler. But Viktor and he couldn't wear these pipe cleaner rings forever. There had to be a way around this that would still make Yurio feel secure.

Viktor came home then, tote bag on his arm looking surprisingly empty for what was supposed to be a trip to the convenience store. What did he need anyway, just toothpaste?

Viktor noticed the mood between Yuuri and Yurio immediately. Yuuri sent him a distressed look.

"What's going on in here?" he asked carefully.

Yurio sniffled, a little teary. "Yuuri's going to leave."

"Yurio, I'm just saying that I can't wear this forever. I'll need to take it off sometimes. But that doesn't mean I'm leaving, I promise."

Yurio shrugged Yuuri's hand off his shoulder, still not having it. Yuuri looked up at Viktor again, pleading for help.

"I hate to say it, but I agree with Yuuri. Pipe cleaners can get dirty. We wouldn't want them to get dirty, right?" Viktor said gently, leaning down to Yurio's level. Yuuri breathed a little sigh of relief that Viktor was helping him out.

"But I made them! If you're not married, he'll leave!" Yurio protested. "Married people don't leave…"

Viktor looked pained, but slapped on a smile. "I'm really happy that you made them for us. That's why Yuuri and I are going to put our rings right up there on the fridge, so we can always see them and they won't get dirty. Instead, I got us something else." Viktor pulled out a little box, and Yuuri's breath hitched. There was no way he got _actual_ rings. But he had. "These won't get dirty," Viktor said, taking out a pair of simple silver bands. "They can stand in for the ones you gave us. Is that okay?"

Yurio nodded, suddenly much more okay with his pipe cleaner rings being taken off Viktor and Yuuri's fingers. But he was still suspicious as Viktor let him take one of the rings and inspect it.

Viktor met Yuuri's eyes and gave him a little apologetic smile. Yuuri wondered what his own face looked like right now.

"They're tungsten," Viktor said. "Nothing fancy. We can talk about it later."

Yuuri smiled weakly, honestly a little relieved, though he wasn't entirely sure what kind of metal tungsten was. He still couldn't believe Viktor had went and gotten actual rings just to humor Yurio. What was he supposed to do with it? Wear it? At least he didn't have to worry about ruining it like he did with the pipe cleaners.

"Yurio, the one you're holding is Yuuri's; give it to him."

Yurio held out the ring in his stubby child's fingers. "Here."

Once Yuuri had it in his hands, he hesitated, unsure what to do with it. Which finger should he put it on? Did Viktor even know what size to get?

His confusion must have shown on his face, because Viktor reached for the pipe cleaner ring and tapped it. "Put it on the same finger you had Yurio's on. That's how I sized it."

Yuuri dutifully slid it on. Somewhat surprisingly, it fit well. Viktor raised his eyebrows a little at the sight of it on Yuuri's finger, but promptly followed by putting on his. Yurio bounced excitedly.

"Now, Yurio, one more thing," Viktor said. "You need to understand that we can't wear these all the time. We're not really married, so we have to keep them a secret to other people or they'll get the wrong idea. This doesn't mean Yuuri will leave, but we can't always have them on our fingers. If I keep mine in my pocket during school, is that okay?"

Yurio looked like he was about to protest, but he kept his mouth shut, thinking. Eventually he looked up. "…you promise to keep it?"

"Promise."

He looked to Yuuri. "Katsudon promise?"

Yuuri held out his pinky and linked it with Yurio's. "Promise." He would have to be careful not to lose it, but having the ring somewhere on his person rather than specifically on his hand was a lot easier, and would make a good transition toward not needing them at all once Yurio was ready for that.

"You have to keep it always so you don't disappear," Yurio said seriously.

Yuuri nodded. "Okay."

This whole thing had seemingly come out of nowhere, but it was obviously a deep problem for Yurio given how quickly he'd latched onto the rings idea. For some reason he thought the rings were what kept married couples together. He clearly wasn't aware of divorce as a common phenomenon. And Yurio's own parents had passed away; if that counted as leaving, then Yurio of all people should know that marriage didn't mean forever.

Yuuri wondered what Viktor thought about all this. They hadn't talked about his parents except in passing, and Yuuri was dying to know Viktor's true feelings about their deaths and raising Yurio. But Viktor never offered the information, and Yuuri was afraid to ask.

With that bit of drama dealt with, Yuuri sent Yurio to his room for a bit while he and Viktor lingered behind in the kitchen to talk.

"You…you got us rings," Yuuri said slowly, not really sure how he was supposed to feel about all this.

"I had them delivered to Chris so they would be a surprise. They apparently got here yesterday, but Chris forgot about it until this morning. Sorry for not telling you earlier."

Yuuri shook his head. "No, it's fine. It was a nice surprise."

Viktor visibly relaxed. "I'm glad. I decided to get them when Yurio wouldn't let us take them off, and I remembered how you seemed happy about getting a gift from him. I thought maybe you'd be happy about these too, kind of. That probably sounds stupid."

"It doesn't. I was…surprised, yes. But it's not bad. It was really thoughtful of you; thank you."

Viktor fidgeted and fought a smile, and if Yuuri didn't know better, he might almost think Viktor was being shy. "You're welcome."

"But um…how much were they? I can pay you back…"

"No, no, they were quite cheap. I bought the cheapest ones on Amazon that seemed decent. Not even ten dollars. If you're still worried, you can think of it as being a gift for my brother rather than for you."

It didn't seem like Viktor was going to budge, and that _was_ a reasonable price. Yuuri could live with that.

"Okay. In that case, I'll accept it gratefully."

Viktor beamed. "Excellent! I'm _really_ sorry about all this. I don't know what's gotten into him."

"He has some attachment issues," Yuuri said, crossing his arms thoughtfully. "I don't know how to deal with it well, but I think having rings we can keep with us without ruining them is a good idea. It feels like a compromise."

"I was thinking of just taking them off and letting his emotions run their course, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get you a gift."

Yuuri blushed.

"This is definitely easier than dealing with his tantrums, though. I'd put him into counseling, but then we'd have to cut out something else balance the budget. We saved some money having you move in, but that's going toward his skating fees, and he loves skating so much…"

"Don't American schools have counselors?"

"I've already talked to the school about it after he gave us the rings. Hopefully they do a good job, but judging by the counselors at the high school I went to, I don't have high hopes," Viktor said. "The other students complained about them all the time. They didn't care about the students. I'm hoping elementary schools counselors are better."

"I hope so, too," Yuuri said.

Viktor let out a breath. "Now that that's out of the way, it's time to take Yurio to practice. Are you sure you'll stay home? I'd love for you to come with me. We can hang out while he's in class. Just do your homework later."

Yuuri nudged Viktor down the hall. "I'm sure. Go make sure he's actually packing up his skating things like he's supposed to."

"Okay, okay. Whatever you say, _dear_." Viktor pulled Yuuri's ring hand to his lips and winked. Then he walked away, laughing delightedly at Yuuri's startled flush like the baffling incessant flirt he was.

If Yuuri called goodbye from his room instead of seeing them out when they left, it wasn't his fault; it was Viktor's.

* * *

 **A/N: Look I know it's contrived shhhh the rings just need to be a thing that's all shhhhhhh**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** **One step forward, two steps back.**

* * *

Finals week quickly approached. Yuuri found himself spending increasing amounts of time in the library when he didn't have class or babysitting, but even that wasn't nearly enough. It was getting tempting to put Yurio to bed immediately after dinner if only to get that extra hour or so of study time. He had a full courseload of five classes, and each one of them had a final test; two of them had additional research papers. Yuuri just wanted the semester done with already.

He was on the way to grab some food one day after a disappointing and unsuccessful trip to the library for research materials when he noticed Viktor across the lobby of the student building talking animatedly with two other students. He stopped in his tracks.

Should he approach him? Viktor would be able to help with his research efforts, but to talk to him on campus was still a bit nerve-wracking. If it was as student and TA, it'd be fine, right? A good first step, to get Yuuri used to being seen next to Viktor. To show himself that nobody would particularly notice or care that he was among Viktor's friends. He'd been avoiding this long enough.

He took a deep breath and walked forward. "Viktor," he called.

Viktor's head whipped around at the sound of Yuuri's voice. His face lit up in a smile. "Ah, Yuuri!" He turned to the two men he was with. "Just a moment, one of my students from Yakov's class."

Viktor hurried over, and Yuuri hoped no one was looking at Viktor's face too carefully because the way he'd just _transformed_ before Yuuri's eyes was amazing. He hadn't realized how practiced Viktor's usual expressions looked until he saw that commercial smile morph into the open grin he was wearing now as he approached Yuuri.

"Yuuri! Wow, hi! What's the occasion?"

Yuuri's cheeks were growing hot. "I just came from the library and I had a question about Yakov's class and I saw you so…"

"Of course! Ask me anything! Ah, but is it something I can answer now or do we need to sit down over it?"

"It's a bit long. Sorry, were you busy?"

"A little," Viktor admitted. "Those two are co-chairs of the Student Media Board. They want my help with some issues regarding the administration. I'm trying to get them to set up a meeting to discuss it, but we keep getting off-topic. Those two like to talk."

"So do you."

"So do I," Viktor conceded. "I'm sorry, but can your question wait until tonight? I have to finish up this conversation and then I have class."

"And I have to leave to pick up Yurio in half an hour," Yuuri said. "You don't have office hours today, right? Any meetings?"

"Oh, you're right! No, I don't. I'll be home for dinner!"

Yuuri slowly smiled. "Yurio will be happy," he said.

"So will I," Viktor said with a wistful sigh and a hand on his cheek. "It seems like I'm only ever eating your food as leftovers these days. I finally get to have dinner freshly cooked." He perked up. "Anyway, see you later. Tell Yurio I love him."

"Will do."

Yuuri watched Viktor return to his companions and immediately launch back into rapid chatter. His heart was still racing with adrenaline, but that had gone well. It felt natural. It felt right. He'd felt some eyes on him when Viktor first approached him, but that was probably because Viktor's voice carried. Viktor's companions were the only two who really seemed to notice or care all that much.

 _He's famous around campus, but he's not a celebrity,_ Yuuri reminded himself. It had taken him a few months, but it seemed he could finally get over his irrational social anxiety regarding Viktor. Maybe. He'd gotten through that small interaction just fine, and he felt lighter now that he'd done it.

A small sense of accomplishment and the anticipation of seeing Viktor for dinner put a spring in his step as he made his way to Yurio's kindergarten.

* * *

Dinner that night was a simple affair. Yuuri was getting used to the simple style of American cooking, but he still liked to add flavors in that he was used to using back at his family's inn in Japan.

Tonight's dinner was a perfect example of his mixed cooking profile. The main part of the meal was pork cutlet and white rice: tonkatsu, a staple part of Yuuri's favorite dish. But they were out of the breading Yuuri preferred and the Asian grocery was too far away for a last-minute shopping trip, so it was coated with seasoned breadcrumbs from the nearest supermarket. It still tasted good, but it definitely didn't taste Japanese anymore. The vegetable he paired it with was also somewhat more American than Japanese— green beans with garlic. Yurio liked garlicky foods, and they needed to get some veggies into his diet somehow, so garlic green beans it was. Personally, Yuuri preferred them with sesame like his mom made.

"Oh, by the way, Yuuri."

Yuuri's mouth was too full to speak, so he looked up and made an inquiring noise in Viktor's direction.

"I thought of something while I was in class earlier," he said. "See, Yakov showed me the final yesterday. I'll be grading some of it, so he wanted to give me an idea of what to expect."

Yuuri swallowed. "So? I assume he swore you to secrecy about what's actually on it."

"Yup. He also told me 'not to play favorites,' which was almost definitely referring to you. I thought he just meant for grading, but I think I should be careful about helping you study, too. Oh, I'll still answer whatever questions you have tonight, but I think I should make you come to my office hours next time like everyone else."

"Oh. Okay. Sorry."

"No need to apologize," Viktor said with a dismissive flick of the wrist. "It's my own issue, not your fault. It's true that I'm inclined to play favorites." He winked.

"I won't ask you to tell me anything about the test itself," Yuuri said. "I actually had a question regarding something that came up while I was writing my paper. It's not a big thing, but one of my resources mentioned something that I'm having trouble finding additional information about. I thought you'd know something about it, or at least where to look."

Viktor grinned. "In that case, I'm all yours. We can talk about it later tonight. Right now, _somebody_ needs to stop trying to sneak his vegetables into his lap when he thinks we're not paying attention."

Yuuri turned sharply in alarm. "Yurio!"

"Viktor's stupid!" Yurio shouted. A clear admission of guilt in reaction to his foiled plans.

"Hey, Yurio, that's not very nice. Apologize," Yuuri said sternly.

Yurio pouted. "S'rry."

"Good enough. Now let me see your lap."

Yurio pushed his chair back and let Yuuri gather up the green beans in a napkin that he put off to the side. He quickly wiped the residue from Yurio's legs, sighing internally a little at the oily shine left behind. Yurio was _definitely_ not skipping out on his bath later.

"Thank you. Now, in return, you get—" Yuuri unceremoniously dumped a fresh scoop of vegetables onto Yurio's plate. "—more green beans!"

"Not fair!" Yurio wailed, kicking his feet and scowling.

"If you try to take the easy way out, there are consequences. Cheating is bad. Now, will you eat your green beans like a good boy? People who eat all their vegetables at dinner get to have dessert as a reward. Viktor's home early today, so I got us some ice cream…"

"I'll eat my green beans!" Yurio said, immediately stuffing a forkful of green beans into his mouth and watching Yuuri intensely to make sure he saw him chewing.

Yuuri chuckled. Easy peasy.

The discussion of Yuuri's paper would wait until Yurio was in bed. Before that, Viktor had work to do, and Yurio wanted to do some coloring before he took his bath. After spending all morning in the library, Yuuri was caught up on everything except the one paper, so he joined Yurio at the coffee table in the living room. He had his own craft project to work on.

Viktor peered over Yuuri's shoulder curiously as slid the ring he got from Viktor onto a newly bought necklace chain. The sterling silver chain was thin and delicate, but it was the perfect length for what Yuuri needed it for.

"You're putting it on a necklace?" Viktor said.

"Yeah. It's a waste to have it and not wear it," Yuuri said. "I always thought the idea of someone wearing a ring as a necklace was kind of cool. I thought I'd try it out." Really, he was just embarrassingly attached to this gift Viktor had gotten _just for him_ and wanted to be able to wear it on his person. Actually keeping it on his finger would be weird, but a necklace felt safe for use in public. And he wasn't lying about having found the idea appealing as a teenager.

"You're a genius, Yuuri," Viktor said. He reached over Yuuri's head and plucked the necklace from his hands. "Here, I'll help you put it on. It was originally my gift, after all." He grinned in a childish way that had Yuuri's stomach doing a little flip, then disappeared from his view to string the necklace around his neck.

Yuuri couldn't help the warmth he felt on his cheeks. This felt strangely intimate. And that smile…that wasn't the smile of Viktor Nikiforov, model student and social butterfly. That was Viktor's smile. Yuuri's Viktor.

Yuuri had gotten so used to seeing Viktor had him that he hadn't noticed Viktor's personality switch it until he saw Viktor on campus earlier. Yuuri could see the mask physically fall away, revealing the true Viktor underneath. It was as if out of all the people Viktor interacted with every day, Yuuri was the only one who got to see this more natural side of him. A privilege of being his roommate, Yuuri supposed.

He voiced his thoughts to Viktor, who laughed, a puff of breath on Yuuri's hair.

"That's true," he said. Clasp fastened, he let the necklace hang loose. "After all…"

Yuuri yelped when Viktor's lips pressed against the soft skin below his ear.

"…I only do things like this to you."

Yuuri whirled around, bright red. "Viktor!"

Viktor just laughed, loud and unrestrained in a way it never was in public. He was beautiful like this, his head thrown back and eyes squinted as the laughter bubbled up from his chest. He was beautiful, but Yuuri was going to die of a heart attack at this rate. This was way past simple teasing.

"Viktor, stop being gross," Yurio snapped, not looking up from his drawing. "You're distracting me."

Grinning, Viktor leaned over and ruffled Yurio's hair, drawing a scowl. "How about I join you? I'd much rather color than write an essay."

"Go away," Yurio said, pushing Viktor's hand away.

"So mean to me. My own brother! So cruel!" But with a few chiding words from Yuuri, he went to his room without further protest, and the living room was quiet again.

Yuuri let out a long breath, fanning his face to tame his stubborn blush. "Your brother will be the death of me," he told Yurio.

Yurio didn't skip a beat. "He will be the death of all of us," he said sagely.

How he came up with these lines, Yuuri had no clue.

Viktor had work to do, but Yuuri was free now that his necklace was finished, so he took some blank papers and a pen and started doing some drawing of his own while Yurio finished up his tiger. Yuuri's drawing was of an ice skater in arabesque, whose hair he colored in yellow using Yurio's colored pencils.

"Look, Yurio," Yuuri said, showing him the drawing. "This is you when you're older, winning the Grand Prix Final. What color do you want your costume to be?" While Yuuri was decent at drawing, a simple long-sleeved shirt and pants was the most he could manage for clothes. But he could at least color it to suit Yurio's tastes.

"Leopard print," Yurio answered instantly.

"Shirt or pants?"

Yurio thought for a moment. Then he amended his request: "Leopard shirt. Tiger pants."

Yuuri hid a smile. Yurio's fashion sense was predictable as ever. "Okay. Got it."

He filled in the spots and stripes as instructed, then went over it again with the colored pencils, coloring the shirt a brownish-yellow and the pants bright orange. For good measure, he put a little reflection on the ground, and added the rink wall in the distance behind the figure. Yuuri had to admit, it looked pretty good. The drawing did, anyway; Yurio's costume was a little garish.

"I should've majored in art," Yuuri said aloud, holding the paper aloft and admiring it. Yurio ignored him, too absorbed in the careful process of drawing unrealistically long claws on his tiger.

Eventually, Yuuri got Yurio to declare his art finished, and hung it up on the fridge before ushering him into the bathroom where he'd already filled the tub with warm water. Usually Yurio was well behaved in the bath, but apparently today was one of his difficult days, and Yuuri ended up damp and exhausted in a matter of minutes.

"Sit still," he urged, trying to rinse the shampoo from Yurio's hair without it running into his eyes. Yurio was too busy playing rockstar or whatever he was doing that involved singing and a lot of movement.

"I'm trying to do the quad loop," Yurio protested, swatting Yuuri's hands away. Ah, an imaginary skating routine. So that's what it was.

"Can you do it after you're clean?" Yuuri said. "Look, the shampoo is going to get in your eyes and it'll hurt."

Yurio closed his eyes and dunked his entire face underwater. He gasped as he reemerged.

"There, all rinsed," he declared. But only some of his hair had actually made it underwater, leaving the rest sudsy.

"Yurio, you missed a lot of it."

"No I didn't!"

Yuuri grimaced. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

It took a while, but Yuuri eventually wrangled Yurio into bed and got him to settle down. He went to Viktor for advice on his research once Yurio was asleep, but as usual, it didn't take them long to become distracted. Talking about linguistics led to talking about their native languages led to talking about their home countries, and soon school was the furthest thing from Yuuri's mind. Instead he was absorbed fully in Viktor's stories of his early childhood in Russia. They were fascinating. In truth, anything involving Viktor was fascinating.

"When did you move here?" Yuuri asked as talk turned to middle school years. Given how comfortable Viktor seemed as an American, Yuuri was surprised that he'd still been in Russia at that age.

"When I was 12," Viktor replied.

Wow. When Yuuri was 12, he was angsty over his adoring crush on Yuuko and struggled with the awkward early years of puberty and all the changes that came with it. That much had been more than enough to make him miserable; he wasn't sure he could've handled moving to a whole new country in the middle of all that.

"That must have been hard. Those years are already difficult without having to move halfway across the world."

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't," Viktor said. "But I picked up on the language pretty quickly, so I thought I might have a knack for languages and held tight to that thought as my goal. It eventually led to an interest in teaching people like me, and look where I am now."

"You were right," Yuuri said with a laugh. "Do you miss it? Russia?"

Viktor exhaled through his nose, long and slow. "The answer to that is complicated."

"Ah." Yuuri immediately felt a little bad for asking. He should've anticipated that sort of answer.

"Well, you can probably guess one of the reasons, though that doesn't matter much if it's just for a visit. Really, it's just been so long. I have a lot of good memories of our home in Russia, but there's nothing there for me anymore. No family to see, no friends I've stayed in contact with. I'll take Yuri once he's older, show him our roots, but until then I'm fine not visiting."

"Have you been back at all?"

He gave a small smile. "Once, two years after moving. We went to St. Petersburg. It was strange, seeing and hearing Russian everywhere after finally getting used to English."

"I wonder if it'll be like that when I go back to Japan eventually," Yuuri mused.

"You aren't going back for break?"

"No. Plane tickets are expensive, and I want to immerse myself completely. I studied English a lot to be able to come here, and I want it to be worth it. I've been applying for internships for the summer."

"You're already practically fluent, from what I can tell."

"No, no, no. Definitely not."

"If it weren't for your accent, I'd think you were born here. And your accent is actually quite good. Much better than I was after only two years in the states."

"Um. Thank you." Yuuri didn't know how to take the compliment, so he just mumbled and kept his eyes down. "I'm glad you think so."

"I know so. I think you're really impressive, you know."

Yuuri still couldn't meet Viktor's eyes. "…thanks."

"By the way, Yuuri," Viktor said, changing the topic with clearly forced casualness, "I've said this before but I just want to reiterate that if I make you uncomfortable with anything you can always tell me to stop. Just say the word, and it will never happen again. That goes for anything."

Yuuri fidgeted. He did know that. Viktor had made it very clear that Yuuri could put his foot down any time, yet Yuuri hadn't said the word "stop" even once. Maybe it was because of that, but it felt like Viktor kept pushing the limits of his teasing further and further, testing to see where Yuuri drew the line. Sometimes the teasing did bother Yuuri, to be honest, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to tell Viktor to stop. If anything, he repeatedly told Viktor he didn't mind. Part of him wanted to see how far _Viktor_ was willing to go with it.

It felt like they were playing a very dangerous game of chicken.

"Yuuri? Was I too much today? I feel like I crossed a line, and if so, I want to apologize." Viktor leaned forward, trying to see into Yuuri's eyes. Yuuri avoided his gaze.

"It, um…surprised me. That's all. But you shouldn't…do those things in front of Yurio. He'll get the wrong idea."

Viktor leaned back and placed a finger on his lips. "Not in front of Yurio, hm?"

Yuuri flushed. Had that been too obvious? It was almost like saying those things were fine so long as Yurio wasn't around to see.

Viktor stood suddenly. Startled, Yuuri looked up to find Viktor not looking at him anymore. His expression was unreadable; the mask was up.

"Well, I suppose you're right about that. Anyway, it's getting late. Goodnight, Yuuri." He placed a warm hand on Yuuri's head as he walked by, and then he was gone, Yuuri staring after him with a tiny "goodnight" falling from his lips.

His heart stuttered. Had he….had he said something wrong?

* * *

 **A/N: Oops? Viktor's not good at this "personal boundaries" thing. He** **needs to learn how to ask first. Actually, they both need to work on their communication regarding boundaries tbh**

 **I'm really bad at writing characters that _don't_ talk how I do, so everyone's gonna have all my speech habits. They all talk like me. I talk weird, so my sincerest apologies if their voices feel kind of out of character**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This is a transition chapter, mostly. Did I mention this is a slice of life fic? Because it's very much slice of life.**

 **We get some friend time, some Yurio time, and some summertime.**

* * *

Viktor stopped touching Yuuri.

It was probably his fault, Yuuri reasoned, though he wasn't sure exactly what he had said to make Viktor stop.

 _"It surprised me. That's all. But you shouldn't do those things in front of Yurio. He'll get the wrong idea."_

Was it the comment about Yurio? But Viktor was physically distant even when it was just the two of them. And it was obvious Yuuri had been surprised. And they were both in agreement about not wanting Yurio to keep assuming they were married just because Yuuri lived with them; in fact, it had been Viktor who brought it up when they talked it out the first time, discussing ways to teach Yurio about how marriage worked, and other things he had misunderstandings of due to his unusual upbringing.

Or had that been Viktor's limit from the start? Going up to the point of practically kissing his neck, seeing the reaction, and…now he was satisfied. Was that it?

Yuuri wasn't sure if he should be appreciative or frustrated at Viktor's sudden respect for his personal space. Yuuri had made it pretty clear he didn't mind Viktor being his natural bubbly, affectionate self around Yuuri, so it was jarring to see him suddenly hold back.

Other than the sudden lack of touching, Viktor was pretty much the same as usual. But sometimes Yuuri could sense the restraint in his body language.

He tried bringing it up to Chris, only to have him shake his head and smile, refusing to talk. That meant Viktor had told Chris about whatever it was, and that Chris was sworn to secrecy. Which meant there was _something_.

He tried asking Phichit instead.

"Yuuri, what the fuck?" Phichit had his hands on his hips. "You're only telling me all this _now?_ Viktor Nikiforov was getting cozy with you this whole time and you didn't think to tell me? This is prime gossip!"

"Don't gossip about it," Yuuri protested. "I'm telling you because I thought you'd have a new perspective. I didn't think it was that big a deal. Viktor is touchy with everybody."

"Yeah, he's affectionate, but he doesn't go around nipping at people's necks."

Yuuri's face burned.

"What happened after that?"

Yuuri told him the rest.

Phichit thought for a moment. "Well, at least he checked in with you to make sure it was okay. I was worried for a second there. But the whole thing is still a little weird. By the way, I can't believe you let him get that cuddly with you."

"Me neither," Yuuri mumbled.

"The only other thing I can think of is that there was something in your body language that made him think you weren't being honest when you said you didn't mind. Or he thought he was getting too intimate and decided to quit cold turkey."

"To…what?"

Phichit explained what quitting cold turkey meant. He was enthusiastic about learning and using random American colloquialisms and slang, and a lot of Yuuri's conversational fluency came from all the interesting phrases Phichit passed along in overly energetic 2am texts.

"Oh. Well, that is what it feels like he's doing. I don't know why, though."

"You know, he's making a mess of things, but he didn't get _that_ touchy with you for no reason. I think the man was hardcore flirting with you."

"No."

"That's what it sounds like to me."

Yuuri frowned. Chris had said something similar a long time ago. That Viktor clearly liked Yuuri. But…that made no sense. He didn't believe it. He didn't _want_ to believe it.

"You know what? How about you stop worrying about it for now? Finals are in a week; you don't have the time to get jerked around by some boy. Even if he _is_ hot." Phichit wiggled his eyebrows.

"Phichit, stop. Speaking of finals and Viktor, how many pages is your paper for Yakov's class?"

"Ten pages, plus bibliography."

Yuuri dropped his head onto the back of the couch. "Mine's only seven," he moaned. "I don't know how to make it longer. Help."

"Did you ask your boy toy for advice?"

Yuuri pointedly ignored the epithet. "He said I should flesh out my second argument more. But that's the problem; I couldn't find any more resources for it, and there's only so much I can say."

Phichit shuffled next to Yuuri on the couch and peered at his laptop screen. "Here, let me see."

Phichit was a _master_ at bullshitting. Even if Yuuri couldn't think of something to add to his weakest argument, now he at least made the minimum page requirement; Yakov had asked for 8–10 pages, and with Phichit's advice on how to draw out his paragraphs, Yuuri managed to lengthen his essay to a solid eight.

"You're a lifesaver," Yuuri said.

"It's only one of my many talents," Phichit said with a wink.

"What are your other talents?"

Phichit counted on his fingers. "Bullshitting essays, taking Instagram photos, stalking people online, reciting movie lines…what else?"

"Cooking," Yuuri offered.

"No, no, you're the cook."

"We can both be cooks."

"Okay, fair."

The apartment bedroom door opened and Guang Hong peeked out, interrupting them.

"Hey, Leo and I were going to take a break from studying and go out for lunch," he said. "Want to come?"

Yuuri and Phichit looked at each other. Now that he mentioned it, they'd been working on this paper for a while and Yuuri was hungry.

"Sure!" they both agreed.

Lunch was Thai food at the one place nearby that Phichit actually approved of, and they all hung out at a café near campus after eating. The weather was beautiful — clear skies, warm sun, light breeze — and it did wonders lifting Yuuri's dreary pre-finals mood.

"This feels so nice," Guang Hong sighed, leaning back in his chair with a tall pink drink held in both hands. He got some kind of fruit juice, probably watermelon. Leo had a lemonade, Phichit an iced coffee, and Yuuri a new menu item that was essentially a strawberry smoothie.

Speaking of Phichit, he was _still_ trying to choose a filter for his Instagram post.

"Yuuri, help me pick one," he whined, leaning toward Yuuri's side of the table. The image on his phone switched between a bright picture of his sunlit coffee and a slightly-more-muted picture of his sunlit coffee.

"They both look fine. Just pick one and post it already. Are you gonna drink it? The ice will melt."

"You're no help." He turned away from Yuuri.

"Don't look at me," Leo said before Phichit could even say anything.

"Guang Hong, you're my last hope!"

Guang Hong watched Phichit switch back and forth a few times before coming to a decision. "That one," he said.

Phichit dramatically laid himself across the table in lament. "You _always_ pick the more saturated pictures!" he whined.

"I like colorful things," Guang Hong said defensively.

"You can't ask someone for their opinion and then reject it," Yuuri said.

"Yeah," Leo agreed. "That's not very nice."

Phichit pouted and propped himself up on his chin, typing with both hands, still sulking. A minute later, Yuuri got a notification on his phone that he'd been tagged in Phichit's post. Two more prior notifications sat below it, one each for Leo and Guang Hong, who had also both tagged Yuuri in their pictures of their respective drinks, and Yuuri knew there were even more tags waiting for him from their lunch photos. Why were all of Yuuri's friends such social media addicts?

"Oh yeah, Yuuri, how's the internship stuff going?" Leo asked, taking a long sip from his lemonade.

"Still waiting for the paperwork to get approved, but it should work out," he said.

"The app?" Phichit said.

"Yeah, that one. They need some extra hands for data analysis and stuff. It's related to my major, so the government should approve it, if only the administration would submit my recommendation already."

The internship that he got approved for was at a company that developed a language learning app. Yuuri didn't use the app himself, but he'd downloaded it to help him understand exactly what it was he would be helping with. It seemed like a decent enough program, especially for free, though Yuuri hadn't heard of it before seeing the job posting.

Student visas restricted whether one could work or not, so he'd had to wait until he'd been in the U.S. for a full year before finding a job. This internship was paid, and a language app contributed to his education in linguistics, so getting permission hadn't been any trouble. Annoying, having to fill out all that paperwork, but soon enough he had his first job in the states, the summer after his sophomore year.

Or, he would. Once the recommendation got sent. Really, he'd already gotten approval and squared away most of the paperwork, so he was just waiting for his contact in the administration to sign the damn thing and mail it.

"Yuuri's so hardworking," Guang Hong said. "Meanwhile the rest of us are…"

"Hey, _someone's_ gotta stay nearby to take care of my hamsters," Phichit said. "I thought I could get Leo to do it, but no, he has to live halfway across the country and he can't take them on airplanes. America is way too big."

"Yurio's excited about the hamsters," Yuuri said. He'd gotten Viktor's permission to keep them for the summer while Phichit was on his two-month-long tour of South America. Leo and Guang Hong were both going back home for break. Phichit was supposed to apartment-sit while the actual renters were away, but then he decided to go traveling and now the responsibilities fell to Yuuri. This mostly consisted of taking care of the hamsters and handing in the rent for June and July while Phichit was out of town.

"We need to survive finals before any of us can go anywhere," Leo said.

"Cheers to that," Phichit said.

"Cheers," Leo said, lifting his drink.

"Ganbei," Guang Hong added, smiling.

"Kanbai!"

"Chok Dee!"

"Uhh…salud?"

"Salud!" they all chorused, toasting their paper and plastic cups before taking a sip and laughing. Moments like this always put a smile on Yuuri's face. And with finals on the horizon, that was exactly what he needed.

* * *

They did all survive finals. On the last day, he got into a passionate conversation with Viktor about the idiosyncrasies of the English language that lasted so long they both had to stay up until 3am finishing up their respective papers, but they made it. Finals ended, grades came in, Phichit left on vacation, and Leo and Guang Hong flew home.

In mid-May, Yuuri started his internship. His task: collect and analyze data on how the app's users were learning new languages. What worked, what didn't. It wasn't particularly fun, and Yuuri immediately decided he did not like data analysis work. But work was work, and he didn't _hate_ it.

As an intern, his hours were part-time, which meant he would finish in time to pick up Yurio from his remaining days of school. And later, in June, pick him up from summer camp.

"Katsudon, Viktor will let me go ice skating, right?"

Yuuri looked down and gave Yurio a confused smile. "You already ice skate." Yurio's Saturday class had become a year-round thing for him at this point; he was advancing in skill quickly for his age, so even the breaks between class sessions had Yurio getting private lessons with instructors eager to support his enthusiasm for the sport.

"No, not lessons, for fun."

"You already go for fun. Is this about a field trip with the summer camp? I'm sure he'll give you permission. Just ask him to sign whatever forms they gave you. He won't say no."

"Okay. If he does say no, I'll tell him you said it was fine."

Yuuri laughed. "I really don't think you need to worry about that."

"What about go-karts?"

"That's probably fine, too."

"The amusement park?"

"…how many trips are they taking you on?"

"Four!"

"What's the last one?"

"A picnic."

"They all sound like a lot of fun. Makes me want to go to summer camp, too."

"So Viktor will say yes?"

"You'll have to ask him, but I think he'll say yes."

Yurio swung their linked hands as they crossed a street. "Good," he said. "I want to go ice skating with Otabek. I have to show him how cool it is."

That was a name Yuuri hadn't heard before. "Who's Otabek?"

"Otabek's a boy at summer camp. He's a first grader. We're friends now."

Yuuri beamed. Yurio talked about the other kids at kindergarten and daycare a lot, but this was his first time referring to any of them individually as a "friend." Even if it was a kid from an older grade, it was a start.

"I'm very happy for you making a friend," Yuuri said. "Is he nice?"

"Yup. He says first grade is a lot harder than kindergarten, but he says he'll tell me all the secrets."

"That's very nice of him. I'm glad your seniors are taking care of you."

"Does Viktor tell you all the secrets?"

Yuuri thought for a moment. "Hmm. Sometimes, when he can. He's a teacher in one of my classes so it wouldn't be very fair if he told me the secrets for that one."

"Well _I_ would tell you the secrets," Yurio said.

"It still wouldn't be very fair to the other students."

"Then I'll tell everyone the secrets, so everyone gets straight A's!"

"You're a very nice teacher, Yurio." Actually, that gave Yuuri an idea. One he thought Viktor might appreciate. And maybe Yurio would like it, too. "Hey, Yurio. Can I ask you for a favor?"

Yurio looked up at him skeptically. They were almost to the apartment, and he probably thought Yuuri was going to ask him to do some chore. "What?"

"You and Viktor speak Russian sometimes, and I learned a bit in high school, but I don't know very much. I thought that if you could teach me, you wouldn't have to speak English all the time just for my sake."

Yurio gaped. "Is that why he only talked in English all of a sudden? Because you were coming?"

"That's right," Yuuri fibbed. "I know Viktor misses being able to speak Russian. Could you help me? I think you'd be a great teacher."

"I guess I can help you," Yurio said. "The kids in class couldn't say any Russian either. But I'm an expert."

"Wow! Good thing I'm getting lessons from an expert!"

They went to Yurio's bedroom when they got back to the apartment and sat down at his tiny desk with a few blank sheets of paper. Viktor said he stopped actively teaching Yurio Russian a year ago, but Yurio still remembered the Cyrillic alphabet and knew how to read and write simple things like his name and the colors. Yuuri cross-checked the spelling of things on his phone when Yurio wasn't sure, and in a few minutes, Yurio's hesitance with Cyrillic grew back into confidence.

Truth be told, Yurio was a terrible teacher, but he was also 6, so Yuuri did the best he could. Despite being a poor language educator, Yurio did have one strength: he had an impressive attention span for someone his age. So they were still writing out Russian words on blank sheets of paper when the muffled sound of a door opening caught Yuuri's attention. Sometimes they could hear neighbors' doors opening and closing, but this one sounded too loud for that.

"Yuuri~!" Sure enough, Viktor was home.

Yurio scowled. "Why does he always say hi to you and not me? Aren't I Yurio? He never says hi to Yurio."

"He probably just needs something from me," Yuuri assured him. "Viktor, we're in Yurio's room!"

A few moments later, Viktor's head popped in the doorway. "Hi. I'm home."

Yurio made a point of ignoring him, and Yuuri grimaced.

"He's mad you didn't say hi to him when you got in the door."

"I did! You two have the same name; why say it twice?" Viktor teased, entering the room. "What are you up to? Is that Russian?"

"I'm teaching Katsudon because he's stupid and doesn't even know what a тигр is," Yurio said. A tiger, Yuuri had learned. He should've known, given the pronunciation, "tigr." He knew some basic animal names, like the word for "pig," which Yurio had tried to insult him with on his first visit, but he'd only learned some basic farm animals so the rest was all new to him.

Yuuri grinned sheepishly. "Since you couldn't convince Professor Baranovskaya last semester, I thought he can teach me as practice instead."

"Nice job, Yurio," Viktor said, ruffling Yurio's hair. "You remember a lot! I'm so proud! A true Russian!"

"Hey! Stop that!"

Viktor laughed. "Anyway, Yuuri, I have a question for you. You're taking one of Yakov's classes again, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He asked me to TA again next semester."

"You better not pick my section of his class on purpose."

Viktor waved off the suggestion. "No, no, I already have a class based on my schedule. But I was curious. I don't remember which section you were taking, but it'd be funny if we were together next year, too."

"I'll show you my class schedule later."

"Okay. I'll leave you two to it, then. Sorry to interrupt."

"Welcome home," Yuuri called at Viktor's back.

"Thank you!"

After Viktor left, Yuuri found Yurio staring up at him with a dissatisfied expression.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"He probably already knows and put you in the same class on purpose. He just wants to pretend it's not."

Sure enough, Yurio knew his brother well. That evening, Viktor was surprised and delighted to learn that he would once again be Yuuri's TA…until Yuuri gave him a long look and he broke down, confessing that he'd already memorized Yuuri's class schedule.

"I needed to know when you'll be free so I can structure my schedule around you and Yurio, so I memorized it during class registration. And it was either your section or another one that fit my schedule so I picked yours. Please don't be mad. I can still switch."

Yuuri wasn't mad, just…a little annoyed.

"So we're going to have ethics issues for another semester," he concluded.

"…but we'll get to be in class together?"

"Yeah, with me as a student and you as a teacher's assistant."

"That's better than nothing!"

Yuuri did agree on that point, but Viktor didn't need to know that. He'd still rather not have to worry about the ethics of having a crush on his TA. Sure, they were peers, but Viktor also graded his homework.

Well, whatever. What's done was done. And part of him was glad things weren't going to change for them just yet.

* * *

Summer rushed by. With Viktor home more, half of Yuuri's job seemed to vanish, and he wasn't sure what to do with his newfound free time. He often declined joining Viktor and Yurio on their weekend outings, choosing instead to use the empty apartment to practice some basic ballet. He was rusty after years of neglect, but it felt good to be moving his body like that again. Exercising at the gym just wasn't the same.

Yurio, for his part, was having his best summer yet. He was thriving on the increased attention from his brother. Once, he went over to Otabek's house to play and came back buzzing with excitement over the cultural differences he saw from his friend's Kazakh family, which led to Viktor showing him more of Russian culture. For a while, Yuuri didn't even have to cook because Viktor was always making Russian cuisine for a fascinated Yurio. At least Yuuri's Russian was getting a lot better, since the brothers spoke it around the house more.

But honestly, with Viktor taking back so many of the responsibilities Yuuri had been "hired" for, he was starting to feel more and more like a freeloader.

"Just relax for the summer," Viktor said. "I'm having fun, so there's no need to feel bad about it. I'll need your help again once the new semester starts anyway."

It didn't stop him from feeling guilty, but he would manage. He was nothing more than a house-sitter on weekends, but he was a house-sitter who could furtively rearrange the furniture and dance around the living room when no one else was home. He always moved everything back before the brothers returned. If Viktor noticed, he didn't let on.

Phichit and Guang Hong both returned to the apartment in early August. Since Phichit traveled around so much, he wasn't able to fit that many souvenirs in his suitcases, but he brought Yuuri a couple trinkets that he arranged on a shelf of his desk hutch. Guang Hong mostly brought snacks from home. Lots and lots of snacks.

As the start of classes crept closer, Leo also returned from his parents' house, and it was somewhere around that time that it happened.

* * *

 **A/N: It? What is "it?"**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: The cliffhanger type thing I left off on last chapter is actually my least favorite kind even though I'm lazy and use it all the time, so here's part 1 of "it." Couldn't leave you guys hanging! You get _two_ chapters this weekend, surprise~! ^^**

 **Long chapter. I'm not sorry.**

* * *

"We have to have one last big party before the summer's over," Viktor had said.

"You haven't been to any parties either," Yuuri pointed out.

"Come on, you haven't been there all summer. You _have_ to go. It'll be fun! You can bring your friends, too."

"What about Yurio?"

"I already asked Chris to stay home that day and take him to and from summer camp. Please? Just this once, okay?"

And that's how Yuuri ended up at the beach with Viktor Nikiforov.

Well, he was with Phichit, Leo, and Guang Hong, and Viktor was mingling with a large group of students Yuuri didn't know. Just how many people had Viktor invited? He said he'd asked the people from student council, some classmates, and some other club friends. Put them all together, and it was quite a crowd.

Yuuri wanted to turn right around and go back home.

Phichit pushed him from behind. "Come on, let's hurry and set up so we can go swim!"

Yuuri lagged behind as the other three found a spot to set up at the edge of the sprawling network of towels and umbrellas the other students had laid out. It looked like someone had brought chips and alcohol, the latter of which Yuuri would be staying far away from, thank you very much. Some people were already slathered in sunscreen and laid out on their towels, soaking up the sun's warmth. Yuuri recognized Georgi and Mila out by the water, wave-hopping in the shallows like children. A large group that included Viktor seemed to be negotiating rules for a net-less game of beach volleyball. The only other person Yuuri recognized was someone from one of his classes, though he honestly didn't remember the guy's name. The rest were all strangers.

"You should enjoy yourself while you're here," Phichit said as he and Leo unfurled the blanket and laid it over the sand. "I know you don't like the beach, but try to have some fun. Do some swimming."

"This beach is great at low tide," Guang Hong added, already undressed.

"Yeah, it goes out really far," Leo said. "Lots of shallow water and sand bars. You can find hermit crabs and minnows everywhere."

"According to the sign up by the parking lot, high tide was about an hour ago," Phichit said.

"It does look like it's on its way out," Leo said.

Yuuri looked out at the water. There was a long, flat stretch of wet sand leading to the ocean. Some people had even set up chairs on it as they watched their kids play in the tide pools the receding water left behind. Beyond that, in the water, little dots of people rode their boogie boards to shore, carried by the long, continuous waves breaking over the shallow shoreline.

"Think we should go say hi to Viktor first?" Phichit said, shedding his shirt and using it as the last corner weight for the blanket.

"Oh yeah, we should thank him for letting us come along," Guang Hong said. Viktor had invited Phichit and Yuuri as favored students of his TA class, and told them to bring friends. That was the story, anyway. Really, Phichit's job was to force Yuuri to show up, and Phichit had recruited Leo and Guang Hong as additional backup.

As Yuuri was zoning out in his direction, Viktor noticed the four of them had arrived and waved cordially. Yuuri snapped out of his reverie to awkwardly wave back.

"Okay, we said hi. Good enough," Phichit said. "I want to go swim."

"Then let's go!" Leo said.

"Yuuri, join us when you're ready, all right? Until then, you can watch our stuff and get some Vitamin D. God knows you need it."

"Hey," Yuuri protested weakly as the three of them ran off splashing into the shallows.

Sighing, Yuuri sat down on the blanket and reached for a bottle of water. Might as well make sure he stayed hydrated while he was out here. His only plans for this outing were to enjoy the atmosphere and read a book, and hopefully not get sunburned. Yuuri's skin was the type to tan in the sun, but if he forgot to put on sunscreen before periods of long exposure, it could end up hot to the touch for days. Not a very visible burn, but a burn nonetheless.

As he pulled out his book, he noticed Viktor looking his direction again. When he caught Yuuri's eye, he tilted his head and frowned. Yuuri waved a little in acknowledgement that yes, he was having fun, go back to your volleyball game, and focused back on his book. Viktor probably wanted him to go build sand castles or swim or whatever else people did at the beach. And Yuuri would love to, in theory, but there was no way he was doing that here. Back home in Hasetsu with his friends and family, sure, but here in front of all these people he hardly knew? Nope.

Yuuri quickly became absorbed in the book. He made himself comfortable lying on the blanket, propped up on his elbows with his feet in the air. The book was in Japanese; he'd ordered a few novels online after a week of missing reading books in his native language, and he was very happy with his purchase. His English was good enough to read books in it, but he was starting to associate the language with textbooks rather than stories. Plus, he missed home. Watching Japanese shows, going out to Japanese restaurants, all were little bits of comfort for when the homesickness started to eat at him. Japanese novels were just one more line of defense against that ache.

He hardly noticed when Phichit and the others came back from the ocean dripping wet, and paid no attention to their chatter as they dried off. He remained completely absorbed in his book until Phichit began rapidly hitting his shoulder and hissed in his ear, "Hey, Yuuri, look. Look up."

Yuuri did. It took him a moment, but he quickly figured out what Phichit wanted him to see. Yelling to Viktor from the entrance to the beach was Chris, bright smile on his face, towels in his left hand, and Yurio's hand held in his right.

Yuuri's mouth fell open. What in the world was Chris doing here? Why wasn't Yurio at summer camp? Why were they _here?_

Viktor seemed as confused as Yuuri was, and ran out to meet the two of them halfway. He picked up Yurio as he talked to Chris. They glanced Yuuri's direction once, and Yuuri stiffened. Yurio theoretically knew the whole "marriage" thing wasn't real and that their living situation was a secret to outsiders, but honestly who could expect a kid to understand all that? Even ignoring Yurio's misunderstanding, Yuuri wasn't mentally prepared to reveal his living situation in front of a bunch of strangers; he was here for a day reading at the beach, not a confession.

Yuuri quickly busied himself with his book, but the words weren't entering his brain anymore. He snuck a glance at Chris and Viktor.

Oh _no. Shit._ Yurio was running toward him. Fuck, fuck, fuck.

"Katsudon!"

Yuuri instinctively sat up and held out his arms to catch Yurio when he barreled into Yuuri's chest.

"Summer camp was canceled so I came to the beach!"

"Th-that's great." Yuuri's vision was swimming with panic.

"Who's the kid?" Leo said, and Yuuri was suddenly aware of everyone's curious eyes on him. Phichit, Leo, Guang Hong, Viktor and Chris, and everyone else among the blanket metropolis who had looked up at Chris and Yurio's arrival. Everyone.

"He's Viktor's brother," Yuuri said vacantly. This was not happening. His mind was overwhelmed with panic. He had a sudden thought that he didn't care if people found out he was Viktor's live-in babysitter, but not like this. _Not like this._

"He's pretty attached to you," Leo noted. He immediately flinched at Phichit's subtle elbow-jab to the ribs. Yuuri smiled wryly. Thanks, Phichit.

Chris walked over and removing Yurio from Yuuri's arms. For the benefit of the crowd of curious onlookers, he said, "That's because I'm his babysitter. Yuuri's at my place a lot so little Yuri here recognizes him." Not a total lie.

"They're both named Yuri? That must be confusing," said someone Yuuri didn't know.

The one kid Yuuri had a class with spoke up. "Oh, Yuuri, weren't you looking for a place to stay a while back? So that's where you ended up."

Before Yuuri could even open his mouth, Chris was saying, "Yep. I gave him my spare bedroom. As for Yurio, Viktor's my neighbor, so—"

"Chris~" Viktor appeared behind Chris like a looming shadow. He had a broad smile on his face, but there was an undertone of menace in the way it didn't quite reach his eyes. "As I was saying~ you shouldn't have brought Yuri here without notifying me first~"

Yuuri, meanwhile, was in panic mode. He was staying with _who_ now? Chris had just made up that lie on the spot, and while Yuuri knew he meant well, Yuuri was an awful liar. How was he supposed to keep up this lie from now on? Should he just correct Chris? Would that embarrass him? This all could've been avoided if he'd just been open about where he was living in the first place, but his anxiety…

How much she knew about the situation, Yuuri didn't know, but Mila appeared and squatted down in front of Yurio, effectively putting the conflict on hold. "So you're that kid Viktor talks about sometimes, huh? Nice to meet you; I'm Mila."

Yurio scowled and shrank back toward Viktor's legs. He snarled out a few words in Russian that basically amounted to, "Go away, hag." What Yurio didn't realize was that Mila was in the Russian language program and therefore knew exactly what he just said to her.

Mila frowned. "Now, look here, kid. That's not a very nice way to say hello."

Yurio looked at Yuuri in horror, likely feeling a bit of déjà vu from their first meeting. Maybe the kid would finally stop hurling out insults in Russian under the assumption that Americans couldn't understand him. Most couldn't, but Mila could. And Yuuri wasn't American, but the point still stood. Even those who didn't speak a lick of Russian could usually tell by his tone that it wasn't anything nice.

"I'm really sorry," Viktor said.

"You did say he was bad with strangers." Mila smiled. "Come on, Yuri. I won't bite. Did you want to play in the ocean?"

Slowly, Yurio nodded. "I brought my floaties so I can swim."

"Excellent! Do you like riding boogie boards? Those are my favorite."

"What's that?"

"We don't have one," Viktor said.

"You don't? Well, you can borrow mine. It's kind of like surfing, but easier. Come on, let's all go play. Oh, but do you want to meet everyone first?" Mila went around introducing Yurio to everyone, and the poor kid looked overwhelmed but seemed to be enjoying the attention. All these adults focused on him and indulging him with questions about what he likes, and compliments on his swim trunks (fire patterned).

Viktor let out a long breath. "Thank god for Mila. She's quick on the uptake. _You,_ however…" He turned to Chris, clearly still angry.

Chris held his hands up and took a step back. "Look, I'm sorry. I thought you'd be happy with the surprise, and I was so busy thinking of that that I kind of forgot about the whole…yeah. It's my bad."

"Well, what's done is done." He ran a hand through his hair, temporarily pushing his bangs back. "Yuuri, are you okay?"

He nodded.

"Good." Viktor abruptly left Chris's side to put a foot on Georgi and shake him harshly. "Hey. Come on, up. You can't sleep the whole time. Come play in the water. That means all of you. Who's up for some water polo?"

Georgi groaned and rolled over. "Didn't we just do beach volleyball?"

"Yes, but now Yuri's here. My brother. Yurio, you want to play in the water, right?"

"Yeah!"

Viktor pointed to the sea as if leading a march. "Then let's go!"

Yuuri watched as Viktor somehow successfully managed to get everyone else out into the water at once, literally everyone, leaving him alone with his friends. He'd done that on purpose, hadn't he? Yuuri needed space to calm down, so Viktor gave it to him. The man was a blessing.

Phichit stood up. He looked down at Yuuri. "You're still staying here?"

Yuuri nodded. While that hadn't been an anxiety attack, it had certainly gotten close, and Yuuri needed to slowly calm himself down before it escalated. His vision was still a bit grainy.

Phichit ended up following the rest of the group out to the water. Mila and a few others were teaching Yurio how to ride on the boogie board, and Viktor was still trying to wrangle people into playing water volleyball or polo or whatever it is he needed so many people for.

Yuuri lay back on the blanket and closed his eyes to the sun. He focused on his breathing. In, two three. Out, two three, four, five. In, two, three. Out, two, three, four, five.

His brain and body slowly returned to their normal states, and he settled himself in comfortably to continue his book. Where had he left off again?

* * *

Time passed. Yuuri again wasn't sure how much. He tried to remember to flip himself every so often to prevent getting burned on any one side of his body, but he was back to being so absorbed in his book that he had no sense of the outside world. And the area around him stayed empty, with him as the sole protector of everyone else's belongings.

The sound of seagulls and waves and laughter, the distant scent of someone's hotdog, the sweltering sun, the salty air. Everything drifted hazily around Yuuri like in a dream.

Because he was alone, he noticed quickly when his peaceful solitude was about to be broken. He looked up when someone approached from the direction of the water, and found Viktor shaking out his hair like a dog, body dripping with seawater. He swept his bangs to the side with a comb of his fingers. He was a fit man, and it showed with every sun-highlighted movement of his muscles. He'd seen Viktor shirtless before in brief accidental moments around the apartment, but shirtless _and_ dripping wet?

Yuuri swallowed. This was cruel and unusual punishment.

Viktor smiled politely at Yuuri and fetched a bottle of water from the cooler. He drank half of it in a single long gulp. Then he set his eyes on Yuuri.

"Yuuri~ Why aren't you going in the water? Everyone else is having fun."

"I'm not much of a beach person," he hedged.

Viktor pouted and squatted in the sand by Yuuri's blanket, still dripping. Yuuri averted his gaze. Shirtless, glistening Viktor only a foot away from him. He wasn't blushing, was he?

"I'll just watch everyone's things," he added.

"I wanted to go to the beach with you," Viktor said, still pouting.

"I'm at the beach now."

"Yeah, but you're all by yourself. Come on, just a little dip? Catch some hermit crabs with me? You don't have to go all the way in, but I'll feel bad if I made you come all this way and all you do is sit here."

"Then who will watch the stuff?" Yuuri argued.

Viktor scanned the water until he found Phichit's group building a huge mound of sand with Yurio on the tidal flats as Chris supervised. Before Yuuri could protest, he went and convinced Chris to leave the other boys to play with Yurio while he watched from a little further away. Yuuri had a replacement. Which meant he had no more arguments against playing.

"Go have fun," Chris said, laughing. "Today was supposed to be your fun day at the beach anyway, not mine."

Yuuri still hesitated. Part of him had refused to join in on beach or pool trips to avoid seeing Viktor wet and shirtless. Well, too late for that one now. But there was another reason. And that reason had him frozen now under Chris and Viktor's gazes.

He shrunk a little under the scrutiny. "Stop staring," he said, voice small.

Chris sighed. "I'll go over there for a while." He marched over to the far end of their little camp and flopped face-down onto someone else's towel. How thoughtful of him to give them privacy. But Yuuri still didn't want to face this.

"I hope he doesn't fall asleep like that," Viktor muttered, staring after Chris. He stood by Yuuri's blanket, eyes still far away, waiting in silence. Yuuri knew he had to say something. He just didn't want to say it.

"I…don't want to get my shirt wet," he finally said.

"Then only go in up to your ankles. Or leave it here. Yuuri, is something wrong?"

Yuuri jumped to his feet, then hesitated again, hands gripping the hem of his t-shirt.

Viktor waited patiently.

Yuuri's fingers slowly tightened their hold on the cloth. He could do this. It was no big deal. Nobody else would even notice or care.

Like ripping off a bandaid, he shed his shirt and let it drop to the blanket.

He could feel Viktor's eyes flicker to his bare torso, sweeping down his chest to the band of his trunks, before snapping back up to his face as if they'd never strayed in the first place. Yuuri stood stock still, willing his breathing to remain steady. Did Viktor have something to say? Did he think Yuuri was gross? Why wasn't he saying anything?

"Shall we go? There's not a lot of people past that patch of reeds. We can catch hermit crabs."

"You really want to look for hermit crabs." Yuuri bit out a laugh.

Viktor leaned forward to peer at Yuuri's face, wet bangs swinging freely with the movement. "Are you okay?"

"I just…it's really embarrassing, but I, uh. I'm really self-conscious about my stretch marks."

"Oh." Viktor looked down to Yuuri's stomach again. "You don't have to have your shirt off if you don't want to. I'm sorry for pushing. I didn't realize it wasn't just the usual hesitation."

Yuuri shook his head. "No, it's fine." He took a deep breath. "…I gain weight really easily. It's genetic. When school stressed me out, I would shut myself in my room and eat too many snacks and… Well, I'm better at managing stress now. But the scars are embarrassing." While he wasn't as thin as Viktor by any means, the soft chub that remained on his body wasn't what worried him. It was the evidence of his cycles of depression that embarrassed him the most.

"Everyone's bodies are different," Viktor said gently.

"I know. My parents are big, too. It's not the being fat so much as…the reason. And the stretch marks. It makes me feel ugly."

"Well, I think your body is beautiful."

Yuuri's head whipped around to look at Viktor, blush blooming. Belatedly realizing what he said, Viktor coughed and turned away.

"If you're worried about it, then we can definitely go where there's less people. The reeds over there are tall so people won't see as much even if they do look."

Yuuri gave a terse nod. "Okay."

Viktor smiled and told Chris they were leaving, and they headed for the patch of reeds Viktor was talking about. They really were set apart from the part of the beach most people were on, and on the other side was more flat sand exposed by the receding tide.

"You're wearing the ring," Viktor said suddenly.

Oh. Right. Yuuri had forgotten to take off the necklace. And without his shirt, the ring was resting alone in the center of his bare chest, clearly on display. He clutched it in his fist, suddenly self-conscious about something completely unrelated to his unsightly stretch marks.

"I'm kind of happy to see it. Makes me wish I'd brought mine; I left it at home in case I lost it."

"Good idea," Yuuri said.

"Ah! See, what did I tell you? Look at the hermit crabs!" Viktor splashed into the wide pool on the other side of the reeds, hands hovering excitedly over the water. There really _were_ quite a lot of them, but it was funny to see Viktor so excited about something so trivial.

"Why don't you pick them up? We're catching them, aren't we?" Yuuri said, joining him. Some of the crabs hid in their shells at the motions of their feet. Others hurried to scurry away.

Viktor leaned back upright, and he actually seemed a little embarrassed. "I've never actually held one before," he admitted. "I've been bringing Yurio here for two years, but I always leave him alone to play with them. I'll pick them up by the shell, but after that…"

Yuuri grinned. This would be fun. "Here, hold out your hand." He scooped one up and pulled it from the water with a small splash.

Viktor reluctantly complied, visibly cringing away from his own hand in anticipation.

Yuuri put the hermit crab in his palm.

The reaction was immediate.

"Eep! Ah, it feels weird. Ah, that tickles! Ahhh, Yuuri!"

Yuuri laughed. Maybe he'd be able to enjoy his time in the water after all; it was hard to feel self-conscious about himself anymore when Viktor was making such strange high-pitched noises over a single hermit crab.

They played with the hermit crabs for a while. Viktor showed Yuuri all the things Yurio liked to do with them when they went here, one of which was hermit crab races. Yuuri's crabs ended up winning the slim majority of the races, so he won the title of Best Hermit Crab Racer. Apparently Viktor had similar luck with Yurio, usually bequeathing the title to his little brother.

For a little bit, they just sat in the water and chatted. Yuuri asked about the classmate whose name he forgot, and discovered it was Emil. So it was Emil's fault Chris had said such a blatant and confusing lie. Well, he meant well. And Yuuri forgot the guy's name, so he'd call it even.

Viktor told Yuuri about the people who'd been invited that Yuuri didn't recognize; most of them were from Queers & Allies, an organization Viktor used to go to more often before he was Student President. Last year, he was usually too busy to make meetings. So, as they were sitting there, he told a few of the older stories from several years ago, a younger Viktor having fun with old friends Yuuri didn't know.

A school of small fish ended storytime when Viktor decided to try and herd them around the tidepool. The two of them ran around in circles trying to corral the fish, tripping over their own feet hindered by water resistance. At one point, they were both too concentrated on their task to notice that they were headed right toward each other. Their shoulders collided, and they both lost their balance.

Giggling, Yuuri fell to the sand, and Viktor collapsed beside him. His wet bangs stuck to his forehead, and Yuuri reached over to brush them aside.

Viktor stilled at the touch, and Yuuri froze with his fingers lingering at Viktor's temple. Oh, was it bad to do this? Was this too intimate? Were they still not touching?

Viktor's hand grabbed Yuuri's, and then he reached out his own to brush his fingers along the side of Yuuri's face, leaving a trail of heat that Yuuri could feel all the way down to his stomach. The affection in Viktor's eyes, the tenderness in his touch that Yuuri was already all too familiar with yet had been missing so badly…this was too much. Yuuri's eyes widened, watery, and his heart beat.

"Yuuri, I—"

"I like you," Yuuri blurted.

Oh. Oh. He hadn't meant to say that. But he had, and now Viktor was staring at him with shock and something akin to awe. Viktor's lips parted and he made a choked noise.

Yuuri jerked upright, heart pounding in his ears. Viktor followed him, scrambling to his knees and reaching to touch Yuuri's shoulder with a shaking hand. His normally pale skin was lit up in a rare and unmistakable blush. Yuuri had made Viktor, unflappable Viktor, _blush_.

"Viktorrr!"

Yuuri turned to see Yurio running toward them with a bucket sloshing around in his arms, Chris close behind.

"Viktor, Katsudon, look!" Yurio said, running straight through the reeds and shoving the bucket toward them. "I caught fish!" Sure enough, Yuuri could see three little minnows swimming in the bucket.

Yuuri struggled to keep his voice level. What timing. "Looks like you got some hermit crabs, too. Good job."

"Th-that's great, Yurio," Viktor managed to say, voice rough.

"Viktor," Chris said, approaching them after taking the long way around the reeds, "looks like you need a little more sunscreen. You're red as a lobster." He turned to Yuuri and winked, clearly aware that the bright color of Viktor's face was not due to the sun.

"Yeah, I'll…I'll go do that," Viktor said, staggering to his feet. He glanced at Yuuri, blushed harder, and scurried off with his hands on his cheeks.

Yurio pouted, miffed at his brother's lack of enthusiasm about his catch. "Hey! Viktor! Get back here!" And he was off again, bucket sloshing. Those fish were going to fly right out of the bucket if Yurio wasn't more careful about keeping it level.

Chris stood by Yuuri, arms crossed and a knowing look on his face. Yuuri's ears burned.

"So," he said, "what was that about? I've never seen Viktor like that before. You clearly did something."

Yuuri groaned and hid his face in his hands. "I'm so embarrassed," he moaned.

Chris squatted down and patted his back sympathetically. "Whatever it was, you really got him flustered. That's hard to do. Way to go, Yuuri."

Yuuri just groaned again. If the earth swallowed him whole right now, he wouldn't mind at all. He'd actually welcome it. Should he dig himself a hole in the sand and have Chris bury him? That might work.

"Hey, I don't think anyone else saw that you two were over here, so don't sweat it," Chris said.

"Oh god, I wasn't even thinking about that."

"What _were_ you thinking about?"

"How am I going to face Viktor?"

Chris snorted. "What'd you do, confess your all-dying love for him?"

Yuuri gave Chris a strained look.

"Wow. Okay. You did that. All right." Chris stood up and offered Yuuri his hand to help him to his feet. They started making their way back to the blankets. It looked like a bunch of the other kids had gotten back from the water, and were all drying off either with towels or by sunning themselves. "Well, you two will just have to talk it out later. I'm proud of you, you know. You've got guts."

Yuuri groaned.

After a moment, Yuuri noticed that Chris seemed to be staring at his chest. He looked down and realized that he was playing with the ring on his necklace.

"You put it on a chain," Chris observed. Right, Yuuri usually kept it hidden under his shirt. Chris must've assumed he just didn't wear it.

"I didn't want it to go to waste," Yuuri said, dropping his hand to his side.

Chris reached over and examined it. Yuuri stopped walking so Chris could get a proper look. "Good idea. Has anyone asked you about it yet?"

Yuuri shook his head. "Just Phichit."

"I noticed Viktor isn't wearing his."

"It'd cause a bit of an uproar."

Chris laughed and let the ring go. It swung back into place at the center of Yuuri's chest. "You're right about that. He wears it at home, though."

Yuuri watched his feet. "Yeah. He does."

"Right ring finger, too."

"At least it's not the left."

Chris's eyebrows raised.

"What?"

"Yuuri, Viktor's Russian."

"Yeah…?"

"Russians have a different tradition than we do in the U.S. They put their wedding rings on the right."

Yuuri swore he could feel the blush go all the way down to his chest. "Oh. I…I didn't know that. I thought it was a general Western custom thing."

"It differs; some countries, like Russia, use the right hand."

"Okay." He paused, absorbing this. "Okay."

"Don't think about it too much," Chris said, slapping Yuuri on the back. "Not like it's actually a wedding ring. I'm just trying to tease you."

Yuuri scowled in response to Chris's mischievous wink. "I'll die of a heart attack and it'll be your fault."

"You're too easy to tease," Chris said. "It's too fun. I can't stop."

"Neither can Viktor. You two are peas in a pod."

"Well, you're not wrong. Viktor and I are friends for a reason," Chris said. "Speaking of friends, here comes yours. I'll go check on Viktor." Sure enough, Phichit was smiling and waving wildly as he ran toward them from the blankets.

"Okay. See ya, Chris."

Chris and Phichit exchanged a few pleasantries before going their own ways, and Yuuri smiled in greeting as Phichit approached.

"You're back. Looks like something happened with Viktor. He was bright red and couldn't focus on what his brother was saying at all. It's pretty funny, actually. Everyone's teasing him about it. I assume it's either your fault or Chris's."

Yuuri hesitated, not sure if he should confess to what he just did. "It's my fault," he said finally. "I said I like him. Then Yurio and Chris had bad timing so he didn't get to respond and ran off after Chris teased him."

Phichit's eyes widened. "Wow, Yuuri. Really? Good job. Too bad you got interrupted, but judging by Viktor's reaction and what you've told me before, I think your chances are good."

Yuuri fiddled with his fingers. "Yeah. But I'm not sure a relationship is a good idea. We're already living together. It's too much."

Phichit slung an arm around Yuuri's shoulders. "You two can talk that out. Be honest about what you want from him, okay? And make sure he's honest with you, too. It's best to know now so you can work together and find something that works for both of you. Communication is important when it comes to those things."

Yuuri knew that Phichit had found that out the hard way back when he made an attempt at dating freshman year. He went through the motions of what he thought was expected of him, not really feeling it, and found it hard to express what _he_ wanted. Turns out he didn't want a relationship at all. Their needs were incompatible, so they were forced to break up. His ex had to distance herself for a while before she was ready to face Phichit as a friend again, and it was a rough transition for the both of them; they'd been close since orientation.

Yuuri was one of Phichit's class friends at the time this happened, and they ended up confiding in each other while working on homework together late one night. Phichit talked about how his ex told him to look up some terms, and he'd found that his disinterest in relationships wasn't such a weird thing after all. Yuuri, in turn, had confessed his own feelings on love for the first time since coming out to Yuuko and Nishigori several years back, and Phichit was both excited and supportive of his new comrade in non-straightness. They'd been inseparable ever since.

"You know, about earlier," Phichit said, "it was nice to see that he knows how to support you without making you feel like they're coddling you. He actually managed to get _everyone_ to get up in case you needed some space. And you didn't seem annoyed about it at all, so clearly it was the right move. I'm impressed."

Yuuri blushed. "I mean…it's not like I only like him for his face," he said.

"But the face helps," Phichit said.

"…the face helps. But at this point I'm so far gone, even if he didn't look like that I'd probably have ended up liking him. Just earlier, do you know what he said? He told me my body is beautiful. Just, casually, like he didn't even realize he was saying it."

"Damn," Phichit said. "I'm jealous. Need me a freak like that."

"Phichit."

"What? It's a trendy phrase right now."

"I have to talk to Viktor after this, don't I?"

Phichit gave Yuuri a hearty pat on the back. "Go get 'em. I'm rooting for you."

Yuuri smiled. "Thanks." He'd ask for wishes of good luck, but he wasn't sure he'd need it. For once in his life, he felt almost confident. Maybe he didn't know what he wanted, maybe his thoughts were all mixed up, but Viktor always listened to him and understood him. And judging by Viktor's reaction to his spontaneous confession, they both wanted things to work out between them.

He had a good feeling about this. He had a really good feeling about Viktor.

* * *

 **A/N: ;)**

 **Continued next week as always!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Man, I didn't realize the way I ended last chapter was gonna scare everyone haha. I'm not trying to leave you in suspense! I'm glad people seem to be enjoying the story though :D Reviews always scare me a little, but once I muster up the courage to read them, you guys are so nice that it leaves me smiling. I'm glad I can share my love for sappy domestic fluff with all of you! I hope today's installment gives you the warm fuzzies as well :)**

 **(Side note: I hurriedly finished chapter 7 thinking it was today's update, but I forgot that I didn't post this one yet. Oops. Well, at least chapter 7 is done now? And I actually have time to edit it now! Goodness...)**

 **They talk lots.**

* * *

Yuuri went home from the beach in Chris's car out of convenience. He spent most of the ride staring blankly through the windshield, hands clenching and unclenching in his lap. He was trying not to be nervous and failing miserably. His entire body was tense with anxiety of what was to come later in the evening.

Thankfully Chris didn't seem to mind how quiet he was, and Yurio was napping in the back seat, so Yuuri had the entire hour-long car ride to think. Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing, Yuuri wasn't sure. On one hand, he got to sort out his thoughts. On the other hand, that was a lot of time for more worries to pop into his mind. By the time they reached the apartment building, Yuuri wasn't sure if he had calmed down or if he was even more wound up than before.

He carried Yurio upstairs and said goodbye to Chris at their front doors. Yurio stirred awake as they entered the apartment, and Yuuri took the opportunity to get him ready for a bath.

"We need to make sure all the sand gets washed out," Yuuri said, gently coaxing Yurio out of his tshirt.

"But I'm sleepy," Yurio mumbled.

"I know, but you don't want to wake up with sand in weird places, right?"

"I washed at the beach."

"The beach showers always miss a spot. Come on, just a short rinse."

As he was getting Yurio undressed, Viktor arrived home and insisted on taking over.

"I'll take care of this one," Viktor said, nudging Yuuri aside. "You should clean up, too."

Yuuri wasn't ready to deal with Viktor yet, so he agreed and got out of there as soon as possible. He knew he was procrastinating, but this wasn't the right time to talk to Viktor anyway. They should wait until Yurio was in bed.

Yuuri had the guest bathroom to himself and took a quick but quite refreshing shower. He snuck across the hall in his towel to get to his bedroom. Viktor and Yurio were still in the master suite; he could hear the sound of running water and laughter as they spoke to each other in what sounded like Russian. Yuuri smiled to himself.

He took his time changing into pajamas and drying his hair. Procrastinating. Thinking.

He was pulled back to reality by a knock on his door.

"Come in," he called.

The door opened a crack and Yurio came plodding in, arms outstretched. "'Night, Katsudon."

Yuuri smiled and bent down to give Yurio a hug. "Goodnight," he said. He looked up to watch Yurio leave and caught Viktor's eye standing in the doorway. He quickly looked back down, heart jumping.

Viktor closed Yuuri's door behind him, and Yuuri listened anxiously as Viktor put Yurio to bed. He noted the sound of Yurio's bedroom door closing, and Viktor's footsteps leading toward the front rooms. He waited a few minutes. Silence in the apartment.

He smoothed his shorts, adjusted his t-shirt, and stood up.

After closing the door behind him, Yuuri paused, suddenly very nervous. He took a moment to get himself together, then slowly and silently padded down the hallway in his sock-feet to find Viktor.

He was in the kitchen, sitting at the island playing on his phone. He looked up when he heard Yuuri approach.

There was a heavy silence.

"Hi," Yuuri squeaked.

Viktor smiled a little. "Hi."

Yuuri's heart was beating a mile a minute, and he figured his entire body was probably bright red already in one giant blush. But he had to get this over with. "We need to talk," he said, his words slow and careful.

Viktor was calm as ever. His voice remained gentle and steady even while Yuuri was internally freaking out. "Okay. Should we move to the living room?"

Yuuri shook his head. "Here is fine."

"Okay."

Yuuri stood at the edge of the kitchen area, arms pinned to his sides and his hands balled into fists. The sound of his own heartbeat was pounding in his ears, making him afraid to break the silence. Would he even be able to hear his own voice over the sound of his ears ringing?

Seeming to sense that Yuuri's anxiety had him frozen, Viktor stood up and walked over. Yuuri stared intently at the floor.

Viktor brushed his fingers along the side of Yuuri's face. "You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," he said gently. "I'll wait."

Yuuri shook his head. But his voice was still stuck in his throat.

"Is this about the beach?"

He nodded.

A pause. Viktor withdrew his hand. Yuuri hated how the atmosphere suddenly became awkward.

"If it helps," Viktor said, letting out a shaky breath, "I like you. I didn't get a chance to say it earlier. I…think it's probably kind of obvious though." He laughed and took a step back, apparently embarrassed. Yuuri quickly looked up at him.

"I like you," he blurted, his voice suddenly working again.

Viktor fought a smile and failed. "Yeah."

"But I don't— want to…date…you…"

The smile faded. Guilt twisted in Yuuri's stomach. He quickly tried to clarify.

"It's just— I'm a babysitter and a student and we _live_ together and it's just…a lot. But I really like you. I don't know what I want. I've been thinking about it all summer, but I still don't know what to do." He looked up at Viktor in earnest. "Viktor, help me."

Viktor looked into space somewhere behind Yuuri's head, eyebrows furrowed with concentration as he processed Yuuri's words. He drew in a long breath, and let it out. Then he met Yuuri's eyes again and the smile was back.

"Thank you for telling me all this," he said. "I'm really happy. I didn't think you were interested, so I was trying to be professional, but…" He trailed off and chuckled.

Yuuri gave him a skeptical look. "You were trying to be professional?"

"Well, not at first. I did tease you a lot, as I'm sure you noticed. But then I realized it was too much, so I held back. It was hard, you know. You have a really cute blush. I missed it."

As expected, Yuuri blushed.

"Yup," Viktor said, grinning, "there it is."

Yuuri covered his cheeks with his hands as if that would cool them off. Viktor just kept smiling, his eyes never straying from Yuuri's face.

"If you like me so much, why'd you stop?" Yuuri couldn't help but ask.

"Because we aren't…we weren't… It wasn't appropriate. Being that…intimate with somebody who's only a friend."

"You're not only a friend," Yuuri mumbled, eyes at his feet.

Viktor reached forward and pried one of Yuuri's hands open so he could hold it in his own. He squeezed Yuuri's fingers. "Yeah. Whatever you want, Yuuri. I'm all yours."

Yuuri took a moment to collect his thoughts. He and Viktor liked each other. Viktor said their relationship was up to him. He just had to say what his own thoughts were, and Viktor would listen to him. He could do this.

"Not dating," he repeated, slowly. "You can start doing…things? Again? If you don't mind even though we're not dating. I like it. I was sad that you stopped."

Viktor looked happy at that. "Noted."

"I'm still…I don't know, what Chris said has me confused about what to do. I stopped minding as much about other people knowing where I live, but then he said that, and it's kind of weird. But there's still the TA-student thing, and the living together thing and Yurio, and I just…nothing official, I guess. Yet. The situation is bad."

"Can I be friends with you, though? Officially?"

Yuuri nodded and smiled. "Yeah. I'd like that."

"Yes!" Viktor's little victory shout was so cute that Yuuri was reduced to giggles. "Anything else?" Viktor said.

Yuuri shook his head. "I think that's all I wanted to say. But what do _you_ think?"

Viktor tapped a finger on his lips. "I do agree with you about dating someone you're living with. It's not a good idea, even if it's you, and I was hesitant about it, too. I wouldn't mind trying it out anyway, but if you don't want to, then we won't. You know I'm a clingy person, so I'd like to be, ah…affectionate again if you don't mind. Not too much, just a little bit. But I want to make sure you feel safe to express discomfort if I cross any boundaries. Not just about touching, but anything."

"…I was okay with everything before. It was embarrassing, but I didn't hate it."

"Okay. I'll trust you on that, but I'll still try to check in sometimes."

"That sounds good," Yuuri said.

"So you're fine with being _something_ to each other, but you don't want a label or commitment yet. That way we can put a hold on it any time if things get out of hand. Am I understanding right?"

"Yeah." It sounded kind of ridiculous when put like that. They'd still be living together either way.

But Viktor just shrugged. "Well, I don't mind that, I suppose. It's not ideal, but it will be better than trying to ignore it, especially if we both have feelings. I'm more surprised that you would want something like that."

"Me too," Yuuri said. "But our situation is kind of…weird. So it's okay to have a weird relationship to match it, I think."

"One last thing," Viktor said.

Yuuri nodded.

"You beat me to the confession, so instead I want to tell you all the things I like about you," he said. He immediately started rattling off some sort of mental checklist. "You're sweet, and kind, and you're a great listener, and I love talking to you, you're so interesting, and you're probably the most attractive man I have ever met, you have the cutest smile and your eyes are _wow_ , and I really admire how—"

"Viktor, stop! Stop, stop, stop." Yuuri rushed to cover Viktor's mouth. He could _feel_ the redness of his own cheeks, and the moist warmth of Viktor's breath on his palm. "Too much. It's embarrassing."

Viktor smiled under Yuuri's hands and reached up to remove them from his face. "Okay," he said, a hand around each of Yuuri's wrists.

Yuuri was shaking. In his panicked embarrassment, he'd stepped closer to Viktor _and_ touched his face. After months of distance, the proximity was overwhelming. What little control he had left was quickly wearing away. First at the beach, and now here, all he wanted to do was touch Viktor.

So he did. He reached up and brushed Viktor's bangs from his eyes, just as he'd done earlier before that unexpected confession. Viktor's eyes widened at the gesture, and his cheeks pinked, making Yuuri's heart skip. He liked knowing that he affected Viktor the same way Viktor affected him.

Seeming to take the touch as a cue, Viktor immediately had his hands all over Yuuri's face. He ran his fingers through Yuuri's hair, traced the shape of his glasses, reverently touched his fingertips to Yuuri's lips. He dropped his head to Yuuri's shoulder, gripping his arms tightly.

"Yuuri," he murmured, smooth and low in Yuuri's ear. Yuuri could hear his own heart. "Yuuri. Yuuri, Yuuri, Yuuri."

Viktor pulled back, and they stood there in silence, staring into each other's eyes. A thumb brushed Yuuri's cheekbone, and the touch was so tender that for a moment he forgot how to breathe. Goosebumps pricked his arms. He opened his mouth to speak Viktor's name, but the sound died in his throat as Viktor's thumb caressed his cheek again, slowly.

Yuuri was suddenly overcome with the desire to kiss him, to wrap his arms around Viktor's neck and press Viktor so closely to himself that they melted into one being. His fingers, hovering at the front of Viktor's shirt, twitched.

Viktor's eyes flickering to Yuuri's lips snapped him out of his reverie. He turned sharply, angling his body away in a vain attempt to hide the blush blooming across his cheeks. That was a close one.

"Viktor, I…"

"Mm?" Viktor's fingers tickled the fine hairs on Yuuri's neck.

"I'm going to die of a heart attack if you keep this up."

"Won't die," Viktor mumbled, snaking his arms around Yuuri's stomach and resting his chin on his shoulder. Yuuri's breath hitched. "If a heart attack could kill you from something like this, I would've died a million times over already because of you."

"Liar. I never acted like this with you."

"You don't have to. It doesn't take much to mess me up." Viktor released Yuuri, and Yuuri turned back to level a suspicious look at Viktor, whose expression was mischievous. "You have no idea what you do to me, Yuuri."

"I could say the same for you." The rapid rhythm of his heart and the thrill of touching Viktor gave him a touch of boldness, and he stepped up so they were standing chest to chest. Yuuri angled his head upward to meet Viktor's gaze. "If you throw around your affection so casually, I'll think it's your natural disposition, not a plan to seduce me."

Viktor tilted his head and smiled. "But it worked, didn't it?"

"So you're admitting that was your intention?"

"Was there ever any doubt?"

Yuuri burst out in laughter. He knew they were supposed to be flirting or whatever right now, but hearing Viktor ask something like that so seriously was too much.

"Of course, you idiot," he said. "Use words! I was so confused!"

Viktor put a finger to his lips. "I didn't want to come on too strong in case you were straight."

"All the blushing didn't tip you off?"

Viktor didn't need to answer; he just grinned, and that told Yuuri everything he needed to know.

"You thought it was fun, didn't you?"

"Sorry! Your reactions are just so cute!" Viktor wrapped his arms around Yuuri and Yuuri's face ended up smooshed awkwardly into Viktor's shoulder.

"Thanks," he deadpanned, voice muffled by Viktor's sweater.

"For the record," Viktor said, pushing Yuuri away by the shoulders, "you _aren't_ straight, right?"

"Viktor. Please."

"Okay, okay." Viktor pulled Yuuri back into the hug, and it was less smooshed this time, more gentle and warm. Viktor's arms held Yuuri securely around the shoulders, while Yuuri's hands clasped around Viktor's waist. Yuuri hadn't held anyone like this in…well, ever, probably. It was doing funny things to his heart. And judging by the low thud echoing in Viktor's chest, it was doing funny things to Viktor's, too.

"For the record," Yuuri mumbled, "I'm probably bi or something."

"Or something?"

He squirmed. "Well…with guys it feels a little different than with girls, so it gets confusing sometimes. Things like that."

"Oh. Well, that's normal."

"It is?"

Viktor leaned back and tapped Yuuri on the nose. He scrunched up his face in response. "You, my dear, could use some resources on bisexuality. Chris probably knows where to look. Anyway, that isn't that unusual, I don't think."

Yuuri pressed his lips together. He knew he was ignorant in a lot of ways. As much as he was theoretically comfortable with not being straight, a part of him was always too nervous to look any further into it than that. Learning more about that part of himself was scary. He didn't care about having a proper label, but he did want to get over that fear of his someday.

He'd thought about participating in LGBT+ community stuff more, of course. There was a small but thriving campus culture centered around such identities, which Viktor was well-known to be an active member of. But he was afraid to be so open about such things. With friends, sure. Half of them weren't straight themselves, and the local culture was an open-minded one; Yuuri was lucky he'd picked here of all places in the states to study. But there was still a degree of trepidation that came from both societal concerns and his usual anxiety problems. Looking to Chris as a fellow bi man was a good place to start, but…

"Maybe…" He trailed off, hesitating. Viktor waited patiently. "…maybe you can…take me? Sometime? To a meeting?"

A huge grin spread across Viktor's face as he realized what Yuuri was asking. "Of course! If that's what you want. Oh, I saw on the Queers & Allies Facebook page that there's a general meeting planned for welcome week. It's mostly for existing members to plan for our table at the student involvement fair, but I can take you so you can meet everybody."

Yuuri nodded. "That sounds nice."

"Then it's a date! Ah, no, I mean—"

"It's fine, Viktor. It…can be a date."

"Yuuri!"

Yuuri laughed as Viktor leaned into him heavily, clinging like the giant koala he was.

"Not much of a date, though," Viktor noted.

Yuuri wrapped his arms around Viktor to hold him up more securely. "We can actually go out somewhere another time."

"Where would you want to go? Beach? Amusement park? Walking some trails on a sunny day? Classic dinner and a movie?"

Yuuri thought for a moment. "I haven't been to the aquarium yet. I've been wanting to check it out."

"You haven't? It's a nice one. Yurio loves it."

"Oh, then you'll be able to show me around."

"I'll find out my meeting schedule to see when I have a free weekend. And we can recruit Chris to watch after the brat."

"Oh, right. You're probably pretty busy for a while, with school starting," Yuuri realized.

Viktor let out a long sigh. He pulled himself off Yuuri and sat at the island. Yuuri sat at the stool next to him, angled toward him with their knees touching. "You've got that right. I have about a million emails to send out, agendas to plan, cabinet members to whip into shape…"

"I thought you were done with student gov."

"I'm an idiot and offered to help with the transition."

"Didn't that end at the end of last semester?"

"Nope."

"Oh. That sucks. How's the TA stuff?"

"Should be the same as last year. This class won't have as much essay homework for me to grade, thank god. But Yakov's thinking of going to a conference in the middle of the semester and I'll have to run the class by myself that week."

"Damn. He should just cancel it."

"Why would he when he can shove it off on me?" Viktor intoned.

"Well, it shows he trusts you."

"I'm basically a grad student by now, so he's started treating me as one even though I still have my last undergrad class to finish this year. Yakov doesn't really care about that."

"Don't combined BA/MA programs usually go faster?"

"Usually," Viktor said. He glanced toward Yurio's room. "I was part-time my first year to focus on caring for Yuri. Scholarships only apply to full-time students, though, so I couldn't do that for long without losing it. I'm lucky they let me take a year part-time at all."

"Isn't part-time cheaper anyway, even with a scholarship?"

Viktor grinned. "I may or may not have nearly a full ride."

"Wow," Yuuri said, eyes wide. Then he smirked. "Why only 'nearly' a full ride? You weren't good enough for the real thing?"

"So mean!"

Yuuri laughed at Viktor's exaggerated pout.

He hesitated a bit before asking the question that was on his mind. Was this something he should even be asking? But he'd been here for several months and had yet to work up the courage to bring up this particular topic.

"While we're talking about it, I'm curious about something. You said your parents' money is paying for the apartment, and it's huge. What did they do for a living?"

Viktor sobered immediately. He turned to sit forward in the chair, hands folded on the island. "You're right; they ran a major grocery chain back in Russia, and they sold it and moved here as a sort of early retirement. Pretty free-spirited, huh?"

"Wow. How old were they?"

"My dad was forty or so, my mom a little younger than that. The corporation that bought them out was based in the U.S., so they came here to manage some of the American locations. It was part of the deal, or something. They always wanted to retire abroad, and that was sort of the first step."

"They sound like a force of nature," Yuuri said. He grinned at Viktor. "Just like you."

He smiled. "You've been curious about them, haven't you? I'm sorry, I should've told you about them. It just never came up."

"No need to apologize," Yuuri said quickly. "It's true that I was curious, though. Yurio doesn't talk about them because he never knew them, but you were almost an adult. It must have affected you a lot."

Viktor leaned back, expression thoughtful. He fiddled his fingers, silent for a long moment. Yuuri patiently glanced around the apartment, occupying his eyes while he waited for Viktor to emerge from his thoughts. He didn't seem upset with what Yuuri said, just thoughtful, like he was trying to find the right words.

Finally he leaned forward again, hands tightening. "We were fairly wealthy, so I had a decent inheritance. I was lucky in that respect," he said. "But money can't help everything. The aftermath of the accident was hell. We were in the process of applying for green cards when it happened, so there were immigration issues on top of losing them. A lot of the money was spent hiring a good lawyer to help me through everything. Yurio was born here so he's a citizen, but I was still on an immigration visa, and suddenly I was alone with an infant brother. I was only 19, barely an adult, and his sibling, not his parent. Not to mention my mother's remarriage and our different last names, even if I don't remember my birth father. I had to jump through hoops to get custody so the state wouldn't put him into the system."

"You have custody now," Yuuri observed.

"Yes. Thank god. In the middle of all that mess, I got my green card, too, so I'm secure now. But for a while there, it was really scary."

"I can only imagine," Yuuri said, putting his hand on Viktor's and giving it a little squeeze. Viktor smiled back.

"It was hard, but I've been blessed. My parents' money supports Yurio and me, and allowed us to live well after they passed. I've been surrounded by people who selflessly help us: you, Chris, Nikolai… Ah, Nikolai passed away a few years back so you don't know him. He was a family friend."

"Oh, Yurio's talked about him before. He's the one who helped you raise him at first, right?"

"That's right. I'm surprised Yurio still remembers him. He'll probably forget as he gets older. He was only two when Nikolai passed away."

"You two have lost a lot of people," Yuuri noted.

Viktor's tendons tensed under Yuuri's hand. "Yeah," he said.

"This might be inappropriate to say, but you're really amazing, doing everything you've done. I don't think I could be as strong as you."

Viktor smiled softly. "Nikolai used to say the same thing about Yurio. 'Yuri is so strong.'" His voice took on a thick Russian accent. "'So strong with such a small body.'"

"He is. He's a good kid."

"Who knows how long it'll last though. Do you know what Chris told me once?"

"What?"

"He asked Yurio why he never complains about being left alone all the time, and his response was, 'I'm being good now because I'm going to be bad when I get big.'"

Yuri laughed. "Oh my god."

"He's really precocious. I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing."

He couldn't stop laughing. Somehow he could easily see Yurio saying something like that; the kid really had a way with words sometimes.

"You're right though," Viktor said. "He is a good kid, though he does have a mouth on him sometimes. But I always worry about whether I'm raising him right, and I'm never around."

"You might be gone a lot, but you make sure he knows how loved he is. Kids can recognize stuff like that."

"I hope so."

Viktor curved his fingers around Yuuri's, and began to slowly stroke the back of Yuuri's knuckles with his thumb. The contact had Yuuri's whole body hot and trembling, a strange tingling that spread through his chest like ink in water. Viktor was going to kill him with gentleness.

"Sometimes I wonder if I'm doing the right thing," Viktor admitted. "I'm going to college to become a professor; they often have odd hours and don't get paid much. Maybe I should've picked something more lucrative, like computer science."

"But would you be happy that way?"

Viktor shook his head and smiled. "That's why I kept my original plans. I'm doing all I can to make sure I have a good resume for when I graduate, so I can go to grad school, get a good job, and work my way toward getting tenure somewhere, so Yuri and I can be stable once our parents' money runs out. But that means less time for Yuri _now_."

Yuuri squeezed Viktor's hand. "There's no easy way," he said. "You're doing your best. You're happy. Yurio is happy. That's what matters."

Viktor squeezed his hand back. "Yeah."

They continued talking for a little while, slowly moving away from heavy topics and on to the latest gossip Viktor heard secondhand from Chris during the beach trip. They chatted, and laughed, and Viktor didn't let go of Yuuri's hand up until they were standing in front of Yuuri's door and Viktor pressed a slow, gentle kiss to Yuuri's forehead that left him shivering. Viktor smiled shyly, they squeezed each other's hands one last time, and then Yuuri slipped into his room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

He took a moment to lean his back against the door, catching his breath. His heart was beating a mile a minute, and Viktor's little goodnight kiss had rendered his legs to jelly. If this was how it was going to be from now on, Yuuri was definitely in trouble.

As soon as he trusted himself to move, Yuuri collapsed into bed, face buried deep into his pillow. His chest felt like it was about to burst, and as he thought back on the evening, warm tears started to leak out of the corners of his eyes. He was happy. He was so damn _happy_.

* * *

 **A/N: If anyone can read Korean, you need to be reading the webcomic _Fools_. It's seriously so cute. I'm obsessed. One of the scenes in it directly inspired a few lines of this chapter! That part was one of the first bits I wrote, actually -_-**

 **Anyway, here starts the definitely-not-dating part of the story!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: My university had an organization called Queers & Allies that I never participated in other than the one time a friend invited me to an event, so I just kinda made this up as I went. I was not a very involved student, and I thought I was straight until a few years into college anyway. It's never too late to have life-altering realizations about yourself! But that's a story for another day~**

 **Also I just kinda threw the end of chapter together, so sorry if the transition is a bit jarring. I didn't know what I wanted to do with this chapter so I made something up at the last minute.**

 **Anyway, Yuuri is a self-insert, i.e. the first several paragraphs are just me projecting. Not that I'm definitely-not-dating anyone, but the rest of it. I'm a wimp**

* * *

The worst part about not being straight was the fact that you were always, always coming out to people.

Yuuri's anxiety did him no favors here, making him more nervous with each new person who found out. A part of him was afraid that even if he just looked things up online on his own computer, someone would somehow _know_ and he'd have to try to explain the complicated mess of feelings in his heart. But if he was going to be with Viktor someday, people would know. Dating a man was a pretty clear signal that he was, at the very least, not straight.

Viktor was a prime example of someone who had no qualms letting people know who he was, so Yuuri decided to take after his example and get to know the campus community. That's why he'd spontaneously asked Viktor to take him to a Queers & Allies meeting. It seemed like the best way to ease into it; after all, nobody would question if he was there for himself or as an ally until he was ready to volunteer the information. But now that the day was actually here, it felt like he was about to come out to a room of strangers.

The Wednesday during welcome week, Yuuri, Chris, and Viktor headed to campus together, and Yuuri was in jitters. Viktor held his hand on the bus, rubbing the back of Yuuri's hand with his thumb in a soothing motion, but his stomach was still doing flips when the three of them entered the meeting room.

"Chris!" exclaimed someone at the front of the room. "Nice of you to join us. Chris is our treasurer, for those who weren't around when we announced leadership last year," he added toward the rest of the room.

Oops. Apparently they were late. The classroom was small and the seats were already filled, so Yuuri and Viktor stood along the wall at the back while Chris went up to join his fellow board members.

"Anyway," the person continued, apparently the club president, "as we discussed on the Facebook page, Emil and I will be the ones manning the table, but last year's seniors took all the materials we had for last year's setup, so as it is now, our table will be very boring. We voted in the poll that we wanted to do something fun anyway, which is why we need all your help. Did everyone bring their ideas for attracting new members?"

The room responded with a quiet chorus of agreements.

"All right, we'll go around the room. Ken, why don't you write down all the ideas on the white board so we can vote on them afterward?"

"Got it!" A short blonde boy shot out of his seat and grabbed a marker at the front, and Yuuri was startled to realize that it was someone he knew. Minami Kenjirou was in this club, too? Were _all_ his friends LGBT+ in some form or another?

Minami was a year younger than Yuuri, and also an international student from Japan, so Yuuri had been sort of a mentor figure when Minami first arrived on campus for his freshman year. They hadn't really talked in a while, but apparently the little ball of nervous energy Yuuri knew as a young sophomore had managed to become a club secretary. Yuuri was kind of proud.

He was even more proud when someone suggested they bring in students by highlighting Minami's published poetry. Published! In a journal! Minami was coerced into reading it for those in the room who hadn't heard the good news yet, and Yuuri had to agree that it was a good poem. Once the meeting was over, he beelined for Minami to offer his greetings.

"Yuuri-kun! I didn't expect to see you here!" Minami said, eyes lighting up when Yuuri approached him.

Yuuri smiled warmly at Minami. "I didn't expect to see you either. Your poetry was beautiful. Congratulations."

Minami's eyes widened. "Really? You really think so? Wow, that means a lot! Wow. This is the best day of my life."

Yuuri laughed. "You got into a literary magazine; I think that's a higher honor than my amateur opinion."

"Your poetry in last year's lit class was so good though," Minami said.

Yuuri flushed just remembering it. That had been so embarrassing. "We don't speak of that semester," he said.

"But Yuuri-kun~"

"Nope. Nope. It was terrible and embarrassing. Never doing that again."

"Yuuri wrote poetry?" Viktor said, appearing out of nowhere over Yuuri's shoulder.

Yuuri jumped in surprise. "Jeez. Uh. Not because I wanted to. We had to for a class. And it wasn't that good; I got a C. He's just exaggerating."

"That professor didn't know what talent looks like," Minami said.

"He's a _professor_."

"I'm sure it's better than anything I could've done," Viktor said, smiling benignly. "Kenjirou, congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you!"

"I wonder if we should put together a poetry reading somewhere as an event this year. Spoken word poetry is trendy these days," Viktor said, index finger tapping his lips.

Minami put up his hand and grinned sheepishly. "I already submitted that as a suggestion," he admitted.

"Good thinking!"

Minami turned to Yuuri. "Will you be coming to this club now? You never came to any meetings last year. Are you interested?"

Yuuri fidgeted with his hands. "Yeah. I'll try to come by sometimes. I don't know very much about these things, but I'd like to."

"Hey, everyone's welcome," Viktor said, putting a hand on Yuuri's shoulder.

Yuuri stiffened self-consciously. He was used to Viktor's high-contact habits at home, but being in public made him nervous. Would it be rude to shrug his hand off?

Viktor lifted his hand quickly as if sensing Yuuri's discomfort. "Anyway, should be an interesting year."

"You'll be too busy to enjoy any of it, though," Chris said, a couple other people Yuuri didn't know following him over to join the conversation. Chris leaned heavily on Yuuri, making him stumble. "Can't believe we have to deal with your influence in student government for another year. You're not even elected."

Viktor flashed a grin. "What can I say? My cabinet was top-notch. They already don't know what to do without me." He eyed the way Chris had his arms draped over Yuuri's shoulders after he'd only just removed his hand. "Feeling cuddly today, Chris?"

Chris smirked. "Just proud of my shy little Yuuri for making it today. He needs some extracurriculars."

Yuuri tried to gently push Chris off. "I'm not sure I'll be involved enough to count as a member," he said.

"Why not?" Minami said, pouting.

"Ah…uh…"

One of the unfamiliar people peered around Chris to look at Yuuri. "'Your' Yuuri? Chris, you brought your boyfriend?"

The blush rose to Yuuri's cheeks instantly.

"Oh yeah, you two are living together."

Yuuri glanced at Chris in a panic. "Ah…no…that…"

Chris winked. "Yuuri, don't be shy."

"Chris, you're not helping!"

But it was too late. Chris's misleading comment had already gotten his friends all excited.

"Chris did say he was gonna hold off on dating for a little while."

"Come on, Chris, don't hog the new kid all to yourself."

"So this is your rumored roommate, huh?"

"Good luck with him. He's a handful," someone told Yuuri.

Yuuri started, "We're not…"

"We're not like that," Chris finally said. "I'm just teasing him. But any more of this and we might scare him off. We don't want that, do we?"

"Yuuri-kun, don't mind it; they like to bother Chris," Minami said.

But Yuuri did mind it. He minded because somewhere in the middle of that teasing, Viktor had vanished. Yuuri had been too distracted by his embarrassment to notice when, but suddenly Viktor wasn't in the room. Where had he disappeared to so quickly?

"Sorry about that," one of Chris's friends said, a tall brunette with shockingly blue eyes and warm complexion. "Yuuri, was it? I'm Sara."

"Nice to meet you," Yuuri murmured.

From there, the conversation turned to the much safer territory of majors and school life, topics Yuuri was very familiar with after dealing with them for two full years already. This was a script he could follow. But Viktor didn't reappear, and the absence nagged him in the back of his mind.

* * *

After the socializing subsided and the last people drifted from the meeting room, Yuuri still didn't know where Viktor was. Chris had to make a library run, so Yuuri was left going home alone.

"He probably had something urgent to do," Chris said in regards to Viktor's disappearance. "You know how he is. People won't leave him alone."

But Yuuri didn't think that was the case this time, so he texted Viktor asking where he was. The reply was instant.

 _Viktor:  
_ _Cafe downstairs_

 _Yuuri:  
_ _Meeting's over. Are you going home?_

No response. The little chat bubble indicated tried typing _something_ , but it disappeared just as quickly.

Well, the easiest way to talk was in-person anyway, and the café Viktor mentioned was truly right downstairs, through a small stairwell down the hall. Yuuri headed down it, and was about to reach for the exit door when it swung open and nearly hit him in the face. He stopped, surprised, and so did Viktor.

Viktor grinned half-heartedly, letting the door close behind him. "Good thing I came this way. We could've missed each other."

Yuuri was suddenly tongue-tied, not sure if he should ask Viktor if everything was all right, or apologize, or get annoyed, or pretend nothing was bothering him. As the heavy silence dragged on, Viktor's smile faded and his true feelings showed through; he was troubled. Yuuri's heart dropped to his stomach.

Viktor pulled Yuuri to the side, glancing at the door to make sure they were out of the way for anyone else who decided to come through this stairwell. He turned back to Yuuri. He was frowning.

"I'm sorry," Yuuri blurted before Viktor could even open his mouth.

Viktor paused, a little surprised, then relaxed into a smile. "No, I should be the one to apologize for leaving you to fend for yourself. Teasing Chris is like a hobby for them, and they can get carried away. Was it fine after that? If you stayed that long, I suppose it was."

Yuuri nodded. "They were nice to talk to. Chris set them straight pretty quick and they apologized for teasing."

"I heard that part from the hallway," Viktor said. He stepped forward and placed a hand on either side of Yuuri's waist, slowly drawing him into his arms. "Hey, don't look like that. I'm upset at myself, not you."

Yuuri fisted Viktor's shirt, still feeling small. "Why?"

"I couldn't say anything. If I spoke, I felt like the whole truth would come spilling out, and I didn't want to put even more attention on you. But for a moment, that was all I could think about, so I left before I lost control." He snuggled his face into the side of Yuuri's head. "I'm sorry. It's stupid, I know."

"It's not stupid," Yuuri said. "I've blurted things out without meaning to before. It happens."

"Like when you said you liked me." Yuuri could hear the smile in Viktor's voice. He just loved teasing, didn't he? And it worked every time; Yuuri immediately blushed.

"Yeah. Like that."

"But see, that was a positive thing. It made me happy. I'm the opposite of you; I never say good things, but when it's something that could hurt someone, that's when it becomes hard to hold my tongue. I hate that about myself." Viktor said all this with a sigh, and something in Yuuri's stomach twisted. Yuuri was supposed to be the awkward, self-depreciating one. Viktor was a pillar of strength in comparison.

But even Viktor had his weaknesses and insecurities. Yuuri did know that. He knew the ones regarding Yurio, but this was his first time hearing Viktor mention hating himself. It was jarring, unexpected, and it made his heart ache.

Feeling a sudden rush of emotion, Yuuri flung his arms around Viktor's neck and held him tight.

"Even though it's hard and my anxiety is not logical, you work so hard to make sure I'm okay. You push me when I need to be pushed, and protect me when I need space. I _like_ that about you."

Viktor let out a little whine and squeezed Yuuri tighter. They held each other so tight that Yuuri could feel Viktor's heartbeat against his own. Or, wait— which heartbeat was his again? No matter.

A sigh echoed in Viktor's chest. "I suppose everyone still thinks you're Chris's roommate."

"Yeah. I'm not sure how to correct them. I was going to but the conversation moved on too fast."

"I'm still mad at Chris for that. Now it's even more awkward to bring up. Ah, not that I'd tell people about your living situation without your permission, but even if you did want to talk about it…"

"It's awkward," Yuuri agreed.

Another sigh. "I don't suppose we can just stay like this for the rest of the day."

Yuuri laughed. He was comfortable now, but his feet were sure to get tired eventually. He slowly extracted himself from Viktor's embrace.

"Let's go home," he said.

Viktor held Yuuri back by toying with his fingers, his lips turned down in a pout. "I want to hold hands," he said.

Yuuri squeezed Viktor's fingers back. "You know we can't. It will cause problems for Yakov's class if people think you're biased."

"I know. I already get more than enough people in my office hours complaining about grades. And I don't want to put you in a tough spot either. But…"

"Next semester, maybe don't sign yourself up to TA for my section of a class, okay?"

Viktor pouted harder. But as Yuuri pushed the door open, he dutifully let their hands drop. Since they were already talking about the class, Yuuri asked about the roster to see if he knew anyone else, and the conversation moved on from there as they made their way back home side by side.

"So," Viktor said on the bus ride back to the apartment, "what did you think about the club?"

"They do a lot," Yuuri said simply. He knew some of their more publicized events because his friends would attend them, but they seemed to have stuff going on constantly. Classes hadn't even started yet, and they already had plans for a whole slew of events throughout September.

"Most of the events are pretty casual; they're just opportunities to hang out and talk with other queer folks. Things like the movie nights are for everybody. The next general meeting will be for new members. They'll probably do ice breakers and all that, like they do every year."

"Oh no. I'm awful at ice breakers."

"Should I break the ice for you? 'This is my dear friend Yuuri, he is a junior linguistics major, and a fun fact about him is that he is amazing and wonderful.'"

"I'm not sure that's how it works, Viktor."

"It's not? Damn."

Yuuri giggled. Viktor had a way of turning everything into a means of complimenting Yuuri. It was silly, but it made his heart feel light every time. Viktor put so much energy into lifting Yuuri up that he couldn't help but fall for it, no matter how transparent the ploy.

"I'm in your class, your apartment, your club…what will you drag me into next?" Yuuri teased.

"Yurio's ice show next weekend?"

"I'm already going to that!"

"Yes, escorted by _moi_ ," Viktor said.

"Oh, no, you're just my ride. I'm only there for Yurio."

"So cruel, Yuuri! Is that all I am to you? A chauffer?"

Yuuri blinked. "What else is there?"

Viktor draped himself over Yuuri, making exaggerated weeping noises into his shoulder as Yuuri giggled. They ran with the joke all the way until they got home, at which point it was forgotten in favor of marathoning a cooking show together until it was time to pick up Yurio.

Yurio actually had a small routine put together for the performance his summer skating class put on for parents at the end of the class. Yuuri had seen part of it last time he brought Yurio to practice, and it was actually kind of amazing that someone so young could skate so well. Yurio always said his goal was to become a figure skater, but with his additional lessons recently, it was starting to look possible. His coach even agreed that Yurio was a quick learner and a strong skater for his age.

The class recital was next weekend, and Yuuri couldn't wait to see the whole thing. Viktor had mentioned it earlier, and now that Yuuri was thinking about it, he was excited to see what Yurio had in store.

* * *

 ** _Yuuri Katsuki_** _added a new video  
_ _5 minutes ago_

 _Out supporting my youngest roommate at his end-of-summer ice skating recital today! He's gotten so good! Olympic athlete in the making!_

 _7 comments  
_ ** _Mila Babicheva_** _Wait weren't you living with Chris?  
_ _ **Yuuri Katsuki** He was just joking around -_- I've been staying with Viktor since last semester  
_ __ _ **Mila Babicheva** Christophe Giacometti EXPLAIN YOURSELF  
_ __ _ **Christophe Giacometti** Gotcha ;)  
_ __ _ **Mila Babicheva** Asshole  
_ __ _ **Viktor Nikiforov** Please don't argue on cute posts of Yurio. I'm trying to enjoy this AMAZING WONDERFUL video of a  
_ __ _FUTURE WORLD CLASS ATHLETE in peace ToT  
_ ** _Phichit Chulanont_** _This is so cute!_

Yuuri turned to Viktor. "Well, that takes care of that," he said.

Viktor wasn't listening. Too busy watching the video of the routine he'd _just_ seen not that long ago. They were still on the bus and had several more stops to go; he couldn't even wait until he got home? Watching videos on the bus had to be using a ton of data. He could watch it as much as he wanted when they were home and back on wifi, but apparently it couldn't wait.

Yuuri looked down toward his other side instead. "Your brother might have a bit of a brother complex," he said to Yurio.

"What does that mean?"

"It means he loves you so much that he's a little obsessed sometimes."

"Oh. Well, that's true. He keeps my old socks."

"…your socks?"

"He's got little ones from when I was a baby. They're really little. He says it's a record of my growth, or something. He already said that he's gonna add my tiger socks to his collection when they get too old, since they're my favorites."

"That's actually kind of cute," Yuuri said.

"It's annoying." Yurio crossed is arms and huffed. Then, in a smaller voice: "I don't hate it though."

"What don't you hate?" Viktor apparently picked that point in the conversation to start listening again.

"I wasn't talking about you," Yurio snapped. He leaned back in the seat so he wasn't in Viktor's line of vision, Yuuri's body separating them, and Yuuri could see that he was blushing. Cute. Really cute.

Viktor whined into Yuuri's shoulder. "Yuuri~ I think my brother likes you more than he likes me."

Yuuri stifled a snicker.

"Don't laugh at me!"

Yuuri laughed anyway. "You're cute," he said.

"'re cuter," Viktor mumbled, pulling away.

Now both Russian brothers were blushing. Really, really, really cute.

* * *

 **A/N: Chris, you meant well, but maybe don't invent blatant lies about other people's lives next time? At least they found a subtle way to clear that up**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Obligatory aquarium date!**

* * *

One Saturday morning in October, Yuuri found himself not cooking breakfast for Yurio, but instead sitting in front of Chris's vanity with his eyes closed as Chris and Phichit fussed over him. Between procrastinating and just plain being busy, Yuuri and Viktor had yet to go on that aquarium trip they kept talking about. But today was the day. Their first date.

A _date_. With _Viktor Nikiforov_. Yuuri still wasn't entirely sure how he got to this point with Viktor, but it had happened. Reality didn't always set in, since they weren't "dating" in the traditional sense, but going on a date was proof they were _something_ to each other. A little reminder that had the disbelieving part of Yuuri's brain in panic mode, as if they hadn't been planning this for weeks.

The nerves alone were enough to make him queasy.

"Stop fidgeting," Phichit ordered. "You're going to mess me up." Yuuri stilled so Phichit could comb the hair product through his hair with his fingers, sweeping back his bangs. There would be no hiding his face today; his hair was clear away from his eyes, and he'd put in contacts for the first time in a while. He needed every bit of confidence he could get for something like this. A _date_.

"This bracelet would go well with his outfit," Chris called from the closet.

Phichit gasped. "Chris, you're a genius." The hands left Yuuri's hair, so he opened is eyes to see what they were going to put on him next. After spending half an hour this morning with those two digging through his closet, he was pretty sure they just liked playing dress-up with him. Yuuri felt like a giant doll.

"I'm already wearing a watch," Yuuri protested, but Phichit just clicked his tongue.

"Come on, it matches. You can't pass up this kind of color coordination."

"Yes I can," Yuuri grumbled, but he let Phichit slide the bracelet onto his wrist.

"There. That brings the whole outfit together," Phichit declared. "Perfect."

"It's just a bracelet," Yuuri said, not really understanding his friends' fashion sense. Yuuri was just happy so long as something looked decent, so the significance of one accessory was simply beyond him. But he'd entrusted his date outfit to these two, so he had to trust their opinions.

As it was, they had him in a black sweater over a plaid button-down, just the collar and the cuffs sticking out. Layering shirts was fashionable, or something. At the very least, Yuuri would be warm. The bracelet was black like the sweater, which apparently completed the outfit. As if the black watch didn't do the same thing. Yuuri didn't get it.

But Yuuri did have to admit that he looked nice, and it was appropriate dress for the rapidly cooling October weather. His hair looked good pushed back like that, too, and without his glasses his eyes seemed brighter that usual. Over his shirt, the ring swung freely on its chain, taken out from its usual hiding place under Yuuri's shirt collar. Maybe now he wouldn't feel so inadequately plain standing next to someone as gorgeous as Viktor.

"Thanks for helping me out, guys," he said, smiling at Phichit and Chris through the mirror.

"Anytime," Chris said with a wink.

"Here, last thing, I stole your cologne from your room," Phichit said, handing the bottle to Yuuri. "Viktor would hate it if you went out smelling like Chris."

"Hey," Chris said, "I smell terrific. But you're right, Viktor would probably stare daggers at me for 'tainting' his precious Yuuri with my expensive perfume."

"You always smell like roses," Yuuri commented.

Phichit gave Chris an appraising look. "You do seem like a rose kind of guy."

"What can I say? Romance is in my blood."

"Weren't you born on Valentine's Day?" Yuuri said, recalling the big birthday bash from last year when he'd still been new to Viktor's apartment and hadn't known Chris very well yet. After that night, he knew more about Chris than he ever thought was possible.

"That I was," Chris said. "It's fate." He put his hands on Yuuri's shoulders. "Ready to go, Cinderella? We shouldn't leave your prince waiting too long."

"I think so," Yuuri said, wishing he felt as sure as he sounded. His stomach was still doing flips.

Phichit giggled with excitement as they left Chris's apartment and knocked on the door to Viktor's. Yuuri jumped at the sound of the lock turning, and then the door opened and there was Viktor, looking as beautiful as ever in a burgundy long-sleeved shirt and a pea coat. Much to Yuuri's embarrassment, Viktor also seemed to like what he saw, his eyes flickering their way up and down Yuuri's body.

"Wow," Viktor said, "I didn't think it was possible for Yuuri to look even more handsome, but clearly I was wrong."

Yuuri couldn't meet his eyes. "Says the guy who looks like a model without even trying," he mumbled.

"Where's Yurio?" Chris said.

Viktor sighed. "Still in front of the TV, probably." He turned back into the house and shouted in Russian, "Yuri, I told you to turn it off. It's time to leave!"

"I'm coming!" Yurio shouted back. A moment later, he bounded up behind Viktor, eyes bright. "I want to see the sharks!" he said. Viktor locked the apartment door behind them and they all made their way to the elevators.

"If we're all leaving now, it's time for me to go home and write my paper. Yuuri, take lots of pictures for me, okay?" Phichit said.

"Katsudon's friend isn't coming?" Yurio asked.

"Phichit has homework to do," Viktor said.

"Oh. That sucks. I hate homework."

Phichit grinned. "Me too, kid."

"Mrs. Connelly always gives us too much homework," Yurio said. "Viktor said I couldn't come unless I finished all of it, so I did it all yesterday."

"Wow, you're a hard worker! And now you get to have a fun weekend! I'm jealous."

"You should've done your homework together with me. Then you could come to the aquarium instead of going home to finish it," Yurio said.

"You're right; I didn't plan that very well, did I? Well, have fun, you guys." The elevator doors opened to the first floor of the apartment building, and Phichit stepped out alone.

"See ya, Phichit," Yuuri said, waving.

The elevator doors closed and they continued down to the parking garage where Viktor and Chris kept their cars. They were taking Viktor's car today, Viktor and Yuuri in front, and Chris in the back with Yurio.

The aquarium was located on the edge of the city, accessible by public transportation but a lot quicker to get to by driving. Yurio bounced in his seat the whole way there, hardly able to concentrate on anything else but the prospect of seeing some sharks. Yuuri was kind of glad Chris would be the one watching him while Viktor and Yuuri had their date; he loved Yurio, but he could be exhausting when he was this excited.

Once at the aquarium, they quickly lost Yurio and Chris as Yurio ran ahead, speeding through the exhibits with energy and enthusiasm only a child could possess. Viktor and Yuuri took their time, pointing out funny-looking creatures and making fish faces at each other. Viktor took forever trying to get a good picture of some jellyfish that were floating around in a cylindrical column of water lit with colored lights. He insisted on taking a few of Yuuri, directing him to gaze wonderingly at the display for some fake-candid shots, which Yuuri found very difficult with Viktor hovering around him with his phone camera. In return, Yuuri took several of Viktor as well. Of course, Viktor was a much more enthusiastic model than Yuuri was, striking ridiculous poses that had Yuuri in giggles. They were probably disturbing the other patrons at this point, but somehow Yuuri was having too much fun to care.

The entire date felt like walking on air. There was something peaceful about walking together in the blue-tinted light, murmuring quiet comments to each other hand in hand. It was almost surreal. Like something out of an unattainable dream.

They stood in front of a tall tank that had to be at least two stories tall, a long blue expanse of glass through which they could see hundreds of fish.

"It's huge," Yuuri said to Viktor as a whale shark swam by high in front of them.

"It's a whale shark," Viktor said.

"Oh, that's what they are in English. Whale shark. Makes sense."

Viktor shifted, removing his hand from Yuuri's to place it around his shoulder instead. "Did you go to aquariums in Japan a lot?"

"A few times. Once as a kid, once for school. The big one in Osaka has a shark tunnel. You walk through the shark tank, and they're swimming all around you. It was cool."

"Too bad this one doesn't have something like that," Viktor remarked.

"Yurio would love it," Yuuri said.

Viktor laughed a little. "He really would. I wonder if there are any nearby in the states that have that sort of thing. Or we could just go to the one in Osaka someday. Make a vacation out of it."

It was a fuzzy sort of thought. Viktor and Yurio in Japan. It tickled somewhere inside Yuuri's chest.

"I remember having a crepe for the first time from a place near the Osaka Aquarium. And taking pictures of the big Ferris Wheel there. The only thing I remember about the aquarium itself was the shark tank," Yuuri said.

Viktor grinned. "Sounds like you have your priorities straight," he said.

"What, because I only remember food?"

"Exactly. It's cute. You little foodie."

Yuuri blushed from being called "cute." "Something wrong with being a foodie?" he said.

"No," Viktor said. "Like I said, it's cute. Next time we go to the beach, there's a crepe stand at a different beach than the one we went to. They wrap it up in a triangle for you so you can eat it while you walk around."

"The place in Osaka did that, too. Oh, that one, what's it called in English?"

"Manta ray," Viktor said, watching it swim by.

"Oh. It's the same. Ma-n-ta-re-i."

"Russian, too."

"The manta ray is universal," Yuuri concluded.

They stood there a little while longer, letting different fish swim by until they'd seen enough.

Viktor dropped his arm from Yuuri's shoulders and took his hand again. "Want to move on?"

Yuuri nodded once. They'd been standing in the same spot for long enough. "Sure. Let's go."

All too soon, they reached the part where the aquarium became more interactive, and Yuuri spotted a restroom. He excused himself to use it while Viktor lingered outside, waving him off with a smile.

He took care of business quickly, but paused in front of the mirrors, staring at his reflection. He almost didn't recognize himself. His face was bright, eyes sparkling unnaturally. He looked as dizzy and lightheaded as he felt. This date had him giddy.

Patting his cheeks, he gave himself a determined expression through the mirror and left the bathroom.

As he exited, he noticed Viktor leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the people walking by. He looked like a model, silver bangs falling over his eyes, one leg bent with his foot on the wall, a hand in his pocket, his gaze sharp. Honestly, how had Yuuri of all people managed to get attention from someone like _that?_ Yuuri was just a normal guy, but Viktor was so fucking _hot_.

And Yuuri wasn't the only one who thought that way about Viktor; Yuuri had hardly taken two steps out of the bathroom when a tall brunette parted from a group of whispering girls and approached Viktor nervously.

Yuuri instinctively hid behind a thick column.

Why was he hiding? He was the one Viktor was waiting for, and it's not like Viktor would enjoy getting randomly hit on, by a woman no less. Why this lady was looking for love with random people at an aquarium, Yuuri had no clue, and he didn't need to let her boldness stop him from returning to his own date.

From here, he could hear Viktor responding cordially but tersely to the woman's small talk. He took a deep breath, willing down his anxiety.

"Actually," Viktor was saying, "I'm here on a date." He showed off his ring.

"You're married?" the woman exclaimed. "Ah… Going on a date with your wife? That's sweet." She was clearly surprised and embarrassed but trying to hide it.

"No, I—"

"Making friends?" Before Yuuri could come to Viktor's rescue, Chris was there, Yurio on his hip glaring at the strange woman talking to his brother.

The woman flushed. "Oh, your husband is back. I'll let you get back to your date. It was nice talking to you."

"Likewise," Viktor said, gracious as ever. "Enjoy your day." He waved her off, and Yuuri let out a long breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. That marriage comment had thrown him off. He willed his blush to go down quickly before Viktor noticed him still standing halfway behind the column.

"Who's that?" Yurio said.

"Looked like a stranger. She thinks we're married. Is that all right?" Chris said, clear amusement in his voice. "Yuuri will be jealous. Where is he, by the way? Bathroom?"

"Yeah, I was waiting for him when that random woman approached me making small talk. God, that was awkward."

"Speaking of your 'husband,' how's it going with him, by the way? Not the date, just in general. He still driving you crazy?" Chris said.

Yuuri had been about to start walking again, but he froze in place. What was this about him?

Viktor let out a long sigh. "You don't know the half of it. I can hardly stand to be near him sometimes."

"That bad, huh?"

And that's all it took. Yuuri couldn't listen anymore. He didn't need to know the context, and he didn't want to. He needed to get away from here. There were too many people and he could already feel the eyes on him as he started to panic. He knew eavesdropping was wrong, but he'd done it anyway and now he was regretting it.

Stumbling out into the crowd, Yuuri spared a terrified peek at Viktor. As if sensing his gaze, Viktor finally looked toward him, and his expression quickly turned to surprise and confusion.

"Yuuri? What's wrong?"

Yuuri bolted.

He darted through crowds of visitors, ignoring the strange looks people were giving him. A little ways back, there had been a quiet corner with a single small tank inset in the wall, and Yuuri got to it as quickly as possible. He sat on a bench and faced the corner, pretending to be absorbed in watching the fish, but really just trying his best to hold back the tears filling his eyes.

His face felt hot with embarrassment. He hid behind a column out of pure habitual social anxiety; in the middle of his idiotic hiding, he'd overheard something he wasn't supposed to; and now he'd run away in tears right in front of Viktor. Viktor and Chris's words had to have come from somewhere, and the logical thing to do would be to approach them and ask. But instead he'd just run away, scared.

This was a terrible date. Yuuri was a terrible date. Oh god, Viktor was probably so pissed right now.

Yuuri's shoulders shook with the strain of trying not to cry out loud. The tears were starting to spill over, wet and hot on his cheeks, but he didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself. The last thing he needed was the oppressive weight of strangers' gazes on his back.

He also didn't need Viktor to follow him here, but he saw a shadow approach out of the corner of his eye and a hesitant voice asked, "…Yuuri?"

Yuuri immediately ducked his head as if that would hide him.

"Hey, are you crying?"

Yuuri shook his head.

Viktor crouched in front of him, and Yuuri couldn't bear to look up. He kept his eyes fixed at his lap, covering them with his hands for good measure. He didn't want Viktor to see him like this.

"Yuuri, what's wrong? What happened? Are you okay? Are you sick somewhere?"

Yuuri choked back a sob.

"Yuuri, please, talk to me if you can. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong. Should I leave you alone for a bit? You can nod or shake your head."

He managed to compose himself enough to form words, halting and thick with emotion. "Y-you said you can't stand to be with me."

Viktor breathed in sharply.

"I didn't know. If you told me I was bothering you, I would've…I'm sorry, I didn't mean to listen, but I heard and I—"

"Yuuri." Viktor grasped Yuuri's hands and pried them apart, away from his face. "Yuuri. Yuuri, look at me."

Yuuri sniffled and shook his head.

"Yuuri. I need you to look at me. Please."

Yuuri didn't intend to look up, but something in Viktor's voice sounded desperate and he couldn't help it. His eyes lifted to meet Viktor's.

Viktor let out a little breath of relief. His gaze was steady and deliberate. He spoke slowly. "Yuuri. You'd never be a bother. I love you too much."

In an instant, fresh tears spilled from Yuuri's eyes.

"Ah, wait, no, that came out wrong. I didn't mean to say that. I mean…god, English. Words. I'm sorry. Can I start over?"

Yuuri nodded, not trusting his vocal chords to speak.

Viktor took a deep breath and squeezed Yuuri's hands. "I really, really like you. We skipped a few steps, and I don't want to rush this. I'm really scared of losing you. And I know I should be thinking of stability for Yuri, but honestly my fear is more selfish than that. I know that's bad. It's only been two months and I already love you enough that— Shit, I used that word again. Ignore that. Um—"

"It's okay," Yuuri said. He sniffled. "I know what you mean. You can finish."

"Yuuri."

He loved the way Viktor kept saying his name.

"I am so unbelievably lucky that it was you of all people I invited into my home. Sometimes I have trouble believing you're real. But it's easy to fall for someone when you live with them, and you're right, we shouldn't start anything while we're still roommates. But I'm not a patient man, and that's what Chris was asking me about. I like you so much it drives me crazy. I want you so much I can't stand to be around you sometimes. It sounds cheesy, but does that make sense?"

Yuuri nodded dumbly.

Viktor leaned forward, beseeching. "You have to believe that Chris and I were in no way talking bad about you. Kind of the opposite, really. Yuuri, do you believe me? Be honest. I want to know what you're thinking."

"I—" Yuuri's voice sounded like a croak, and he coughed to clear his throat. "I believe you. I just…panicked. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

"That's okay," Viktor said, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against Yuuri's. "That's okay."

The pressure of Viktor's forehead was warm, and Yuuri slowly calmed down. He'd managed not to make a big public scene, but he needed to be completely sober before it was safe to go back out into the crowd behind them. The illusion of privacy here in this nook was the only thing holding him together.

He took a few deep breaths and leaned back. He met Viktor's eyes, and once Viktor had decided Yuuri looked sufficiently calm, he pulled the both of them to their feet.

"Is Yurio with Chris?" Yuuri asked.

Viktor used the pads of his thumbs to rub the remaining moisture from Yuuri's cheeks. "Yup. I told him to stay there, so they should still be near the bathrooms." He took Yuuri's hand back in his own. "Shall we go?"

Yuuri nodded. "Okay."

The rest of the day went by quickly. Yuuri knew it was obvious he'd been crying; his face was always red and blotchy post-cry. Chris didn't ask any questions, and Yurio was grumpy and irritated at having been ditched so suddenly, but ultimately didn't ask for an explanation either. After that bit of drama, it was a relief to be able to let it drop. Yuuri really didn't want to talk about it with anyone but Viktor right now.

To lift Yurio's bad mood, the date turned into a family day. They watched the penguins, touched some starfish, saw someone feed the dolphins. Viktor showered Yurio with extra attention and even let him pick out a stuffed shark as a souvenir, but the whole time, he kept drifting back to Yuuri's hand like it was a lifeline. Of all the reassurances, this was the most telling.

Yuuri made sure to hold on tight.

* * *

 **A/N: Obligatory aquarium date now comes with NEW eavesdropping disasters! Get yours today!**

 **Also Viktor is 110% the type to accidentally use the word "love" way too early in a relationship, but like, in a general sense, not an "in-love" sense. He just really loves everyone, okay?**

 **I wanted to pad this chapter out a bit, so that conversation about the Osaka Aquarium is actually based on my visit to it several years ago! I studied abroad in Korea in college and took a long weekend trip to Japan with friends once. Osaka was one of the places we went. There really is a crepe shop there along the walk between the train station and the aquarium, if I'm remembering correctly.**

 **...actually, this whole date is vaguely based on the aquarium in Osaka. It's the most recent one I've been to, after all. I highly recommend going if you're ever in Osaka. It's famous for a reason.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Obligatory sports episode! Also a bit of a weird chapter idk**

* * *

Yuuri was used to Phichit roping him into all sorts of weird nonsense. Homemade ketchup ice cream? Phichit's idea. That time they "improved" a street sign by giving the pedestrian figure a Red Bull and wings? Also Phichit. And the pole dancing classes were certainly not Yuuri's idea, that's for sure. So when all was said and done, a pickup soccer game was one of the more normal things Yuuri did for Phichit. The problem, of course, was that Yuuri was _awful_ at soccer.

"It has to be you. I can't trust anyone else to defend my dignity. My honor is at stake!" Phichit begged.

"Why can't you solve your disputes like a normal person instead of dragging the rest of us into it?" Yuuri said, sitting on the couch next to him with arms crossed.

"Yuuri, this is about my honor as a Thai! He insulted Thai football. I can't let this stand!"

"If it's about Thailand, shouldn't you ask a Thai friend?"

"The only other Thai I know here is Ploy, and I already asked her. Please? Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease?"

"I'm really bad at soccer."

"We'll practice!"

"Do you really want someone bad at soccer on your team?"

"Yes! Because it's you!" He leaned forward so he was looking up at Yuuri with pleading puppy-dog eyes. He _knew_ Yuuri was bad at refusing requests when people gave him puppy-dog eyes.

Yuuri sighed. "Fine, just stop looking at me like that. But you owe me."

Phichit straightened and gave Yuuri a thumbs up. "I'll take you out to that Japanese place that's hard to get to where they had that really good katsudon you liked. I'll borrow a friend's car and pay for it and everything."

"Deal."

They shook on it.

* * *

The next week or so, Yuuri's free time was taken up by soccer practice with Phichit. Yuuri knew the basics of how to play, but the rules and positions were something he needed to brush up on, as well as the actual act of playing soccer. Yuuri was somehow even worse at it than he remembered, but Phichit was adamant about whipping him into shape in time for the match.

And Viktor was about as excited for this thing as Yuuri was.

"I miss your cooking," he whined one morning as Yuuri made breakfast.

"You're about to get some," Yuuri reminded him.

"I mean for dinner. And you're always so tired when you get home. Are you sure you won't burn yourself out?"

"It's only been a week, and it's not like I'm getting behind on schoolwork. I'll be fine. I can sleep for an entire day once it's over."

Viktor pouted. "I don't like it."

"I don't like it either," Yurio said, mouth full of cereal. "You don't play with me anymore."

Viktor's eggs finished, Yuuri turned off the burner and reached back to ruffle Yurio's hair. "It'll be over before you know it."

"I can't even watch because Viktor won't let me skip practice."

"Not allowed," Viktor agreed.

"Your skate practice is more important than a silly game my friends are making me play. Come on, cheer up. It's only until tomorrow. You can still play with Viktor all you want."

"But I don't wanna play with Viktor," Yurio said.

"Yuuri, my own brother loves you more than me."

Yuuri couldn't help it. He laughed out loud, partially covering his mouth with the back of his hand in a failed attempt to stifle it. "You two are ridiculous," he said.

"With things like this, how did I ever get by without you?" Viktor said, sighing dramatically.

"With much difficulty, I'm sure," Yuuri quipped. "Hurry and eat. I have to go to class soon."

"So cold! Yurio, Yuuri is so cold to me!"

"Katsudon's a meanie," Yurio agreed.

For more reasons than one, Yuuri wished this stupid soccer game would be over and done with already.

* * *

Each hour leading up to Saturday afternoon seemed to get longer and longer, but Saturday did come. Viktor and Yurio were out having lunch without him that afternoon, so Yuuri spent the morning peacefully and headed to the soccer field alone to meet Phichit.

Phichit's ragtag team consisted of him, Yuuri, Leo, Guang Hong, and a smattering of other friends and classmates Phichit had managed to rope into this. The opposing team was almost entirely strangers. Yuuri recognized a few people from classes and around campus, but most of them he had never talked to.

The leader of the other team, and the one whom Phichit had challenged in the first place, was a man in their year by the name of J.J. Leroy. And honestly? Yuuri could see why Phichit wanted to fight him. It didn't seem intentional, but the kid had a real knack for being irritating.

"Great weather and an exciting atmosphere today as we kick off the final showdown between Canada and Thailand this afternoon. This is the only place you can find such a matchup. The two countries are continents apart, but are now here competing against each other for the title of world's best soccer team," J.J. crooned, in full-on sports announcer mode.

"Can we just get started already?" Phichit said, getting impatient.

"Fine, fine. Introducing our referee for this event, Seung-gil Lee!"

Yuuri was pretty sure J.J. butchered the pronunciation of Seung-gil's name, but he got an A+ for effort, at least. And Seung-gil's unchanging poker face revealed nothing. If they wanted someone neutral, he was a good choice. Yuuri hadn't seen the guy's expression change in the slightest since he arrived.

They eventually managed to get the game started, and just as Yuuri predicted, they didn't do well. J.J.'s friends were all athletic and knew their way around a soccer field. J.J. and Phichit had both agreed not to recruit members of the school team or soccer club, but you wouldn't be able to tell by looking at J.J.'s team. Meanwhile, Phichit's friends were significantly less experienced with ball sports.

Phichit had put Yuuri in an offensive position, citing his competitive streak as his reasoning. A bad choice, in Yuuri's opinion. It's not that Phichit was wrong about Yuuri being extremely competitive, but a week of practicing hadn't made him magically great as soccer. His desire to win conflicted greatly with his mediocre skill level, leaving him frustrated as he constantly lost the ball to the other team.

J.J.'s side had already scored three goals by the time Yuuri somehow managed to get a shot past the goalie, right before Seung-gil called halftime. Thank god. At least Yuuri had managed to do _something_.

They jogged back to the sidelines for a quick break before the game continued. Yuuri's water bottle was the only thing he could see, and he made straight for it, picking it up and taking long gulps.

"Yuuri!"

Yuuri jumped in surprise at the sound of his name being called by a very familiar voice. He turned around, wiping at his mouth. "Viktor?"

There he was, right in front of Yuuri, a huge smile on his face. Yuuri had to blink to make sure he wasn't seeing things.

"You looked great out there! Why didn't you tell me you were good at soccer?" Viktor said.

"I'm not," Yuuri deadpanned. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be bringing Yurio to practice?"

Viktor waved off Yuuri's concern. "He's at the rink now. I figured I'd stop by in the meantime to check out this game you've been so busy practicing for." He put a heavy hand on Yuuri's shoulder. "And Yuuri, don't you dare say you're not good at soccer after what I just saw. I won't let you. That was amazing."

"I had one lucky shot," Yuuri said. "We're still losing."

"Keep up with that attitude and we'll _keep_ losing," Phichit said from behind Yuuri.

Yuuri ignored Phichit's comment. He flopped down onto the grass, closing his eyes against the bright glow of the overcast sky. The grass was cool and slightly damp, but Yuuri couldn't care less about that right now. His feet needed a break. His entire body needed a break.

Viktor crouched next to him and poked his shoulder. "Yuuri."

"What?"

Yuuri winked one eye open to see Viktor smiling over him, his eyes gentle. He returned the smile entirely involuntarily.

"How long were you planning to watch?" Yuuri said.

"About half an hour. I've been here fifteen minutes already."

"Halftime break is about ten minutes, so you won't be able to see much more actual playing."

"That's fine. I'm just glad I made it to cheer you on. Yurio was really mad about not being able to come too, by the way. He kept begging me not to make him to go skate practice, right up until I left."

"I'm honored," Yuuri said. "Maybe we should have our own match sometime. Japan vs. Russia."

"Two on one? Hmm." Viktor tapped his lower lip. "Well, with your skills, I suppose it's only fair that we get an extra player."

"Viktor, please. You played club soccer in high school."

"And I haven't touched a ball since. I'll be terrible."

"Viktor, you play?" Phichit chimed in.

"I did, when I was younger," Viktor confirmed.

"Damn. I should've asked you instead of Yuuri."

"Hey!" Yuuri snapped, a little offended. "I scored our only goal, you know."

"I wouldn't be able to replace Yuuri anyway," Viktor said with a smile. "I played goalie."

"Boo, you're useless. _I'm_ the goalie."

"Phichit played soccer growing up, too," Yuuri mentioned for Viktor's benefit.

"Yuuri, you're surrounded by goalies," Viktor said.

Yuuri laughed. It was true, actually. His two closest friends at the moment were both former goalies on their high school teams. If only that translated to Yuuri also having some talent for soccer like his friends did, but noooo.

"Anyway, it should be you and Yurio against me and Guang Hong."

"What about me?" Guang Hong said from behind them, hearing his name.

"Japan and China vs. Russia," Yuuri said. "You and me against Viktor and Yurio."

"I think I've had enough of doing random soccer games," Guang Hong said carefully.

Yuuri nodded. "Me too, actually."

"Ya'll just love making me feel bad about this," Phichit said.

"We love you, Phichit," Viktor sang.

Yuuri's stomach flipped at the thought that _I want him to say that to me_. He covered up his self-inflicted embarrassment by enthusiastically echoing Viktor's words. That started a whole chorus of friends echoing Viktor's words, declaring their love for their team captain.

"Yeah, yeah," Phichit grumbled, clearly embarrassed. "Prove it by winning."

Yuuri caught Viktor's eye and they grinned at each other, giggling. Viktor reached for Yuuri's water bottle that had fallen to the wayside and offered it to him.

"Drink more," he said.

Yuuri took it. "Thanks."

"Are you not cold?"

"No, I'm fine. You don't need to fuss over me," Yuuri said.

"Yes, I do," Viktor insisted.

"Worry about yourself. Why aren't you wearing a jacket? _You're_ the one who looks cold."

"I'm Russian."

Yuuri snorted a laugh. "You're human."

"Russians are a special kind of cold-resistant human."

"Are they, now?" Yuuri leaned back on his palms, eyebrows raised and lips quirked in a smirk. There had to be a way he could exploit this as teasing fodder.

Viktor leaned forward, mirroring Yuuri's movement. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking of how to hold that statement against you," Yuuri said.

"Oh? And how will you do that?"

"Jeez, guys!" Phichit interrupted loudly. "We're all right here. Will you stop flirting in front of everybody?"

Yuuri's cheeks flushed. "We are not!"

Viktor gasped dramatically at Yuuri's quick denial, a hand on his chest. "But Yuuri! I thought we had something special!"

"What a player, Yuuri. Stringing people along and then breaking their hearts," Phichit said, shaking his head.

Yuuri flopped back down on the grass and groaned. "Oh my god. You are insufferable."

"Who, me or Viktor?"

"Both."

"But you love us," Phichit said.

"Unfortunately," Yuuri said.

Phichit glanced at his phone and his eyes widened. "Oh shit, it's been five minutes already. Strategy meeting, guys. Gather 'round."

"I don't think any amount of strategy can save our pathetic asses," Phichit's friend Ploy said.

"You're all such pessimists!" Phichit said. "We have to win this. For Thailand's sake. And my pride. So. I'm thinking this…"

They began debating strategy, comparing what did and didn't work in the first half. Viktor stuck around, even contributing to the discussion as if he weren't a random spectator. Yuuri could feel Viktor's presence at his back, as if he were radiating some sort of Viktor-ness that could be felt against one's skin, like the glow of a fire, or the sun. Phichit had commented on their body language once, about how they seemed to orient themselves around each other, and it was true. There was a part of Yuuri that was always subtly aware of Viktor, whether he was conscious of it or not.

Right now, he was very much aware of Viktor. He was also aware of the strangers who could very well be observing the two of them. It was paranoia, sure, but things between him and Viktor were still so private. He didn't want something like their _body language_ giving them away. Their relationship was complicated enough as-is.

Seung-gil called the end of their break, and they all stood to head back to the field. Yuuri turned to Viktor.

"I'll see you tonight for dinner," he said. Viktor would have to leave soon, and Yuuri would be too busy with the game, so he had to say his goodbyes now.

"You'll be back for dinner? You're not eating out with your team?"

"Too many people had other plans. I'm still cooking tonight, so don't worry about dinner. I've got it."

"If you say so," Viktor said. "Good luck! You guys got this! Ah, what was it…" The next thing that came out of Viktor's mouth was a single Japanese word: "勝つ!" _Katsu! Win!_

Yuuri beamed. He couldn't help it. "When did you learn Japanese?" he asked.

"I, uhh, looked it up on the way here. Did I say it right?"

"Not bad," Yuuri said. "Thank you. That surprised me. In a good way." He didn't know why he was so happy over something so simple, but he was absolutely _tickled_ with delight.

"I always aim to please," Viktor said with a wink. "See you tonight! 'Win!'"

"I'll definitely win," Yuuri said in Japanese. He repeated it in English for Viktor's benefit, sharing a determined grin, before waving and running out to take his position on the field.

How was Viktor so _cute?_ And cool? And just…everything, really. He always gave Yuuri exactly what he didn't know he needed. It was amazing. How did he _do_ that?

He focused his attention back to the game, shaking off the pull of Viktor's gravity from the sidelines. Phichit told him to win. _Viktor_ told him to win. It was a long shot, but he'd try his best to help his team do exactly that.

* * *

In the end, they lost. It wasn't unexpected, but it was still disappointing. While J.J.'s team cheered and celebrated their win, Phichit had his face in his hands, and Leo was patting the back of a teary Guang Hong. All that hard work and practice hadn't been enough. They'd only scored two goals, against J.J.'s team's seven. A clear, definitive loss.

In front of everyone, Phichit grudgingly admitted defeat to J.J. and rattled off their agreed-to spiel about Canada's soccer prowess. Of all countries, _Canada_. But J.J.'s team had won fair and square. At least at their university, it seemed that Canada was better at soccer than Thailand.

The fun over, everyone started drifting off to have dinner. It was getting late in the afternoon, and Yuuri was hungry, too. But first he made a much-needed stop in the restroom. There was a building on the edge of the field that had bathrooms, and he locked himself in one of the stalls there. He was only in there for a bout a minute and was about to leave to wash his hands when he heard someone else come in to use the urinals. Two someones, in fact, he found out when they began talking.

"Hey, did that Katsuki kid go home yet?"

"I think so; why?"

"Is it just me, or was Viktor _really_ into him?"

Yuuri grimaced. This was a conversation he really did not want to be hearing. It would be extra awkward if they realized he was there, so he stayed frozen, careful not to make a sound and accidentally reveal himself.

"Well, he's in the same class I have Viktor as a TA for, so I see them talking a lot. And aren't they living together? Yuuri's a subletter, something like that."

"Really? So he has a crush on his roommate? That's awkward."

 _Tell me about it,_ Yuuri thought to himself.

"You think he likes Yuuri like _that?"_

"I mean, with the way he looks at him? Definitely."

The other person laughed. "Fair enough."

Yuuri's stomach twisted.

"Think Katsuki knows about it?"

"Who knows? Maybe. He seems pretty attached to Viktor himself."

"Ugh. I don't want to think about that. If you're right, then maybe they really are hooking up."

And this was exactly why Yuuri didn't want to date Viktor while they were still living together. Viktor was used to his private life being talked about, but Yuuri was not. He _really_ did not want to be hearing this.

"Come on, there's a kid in the house. Viktor's baby brother."

"Like a kid in the house has ever stopped anybody."

"True. But Viktor's pretty affectionate in general, and he and Yuuri seem close, so it's probably just that. Yuuri's always been easily flustered."

A few footsteps, and they were washing their hands. Thank god. It was almost over.

"Well, better him than me, I guess," the first guy added.

"Careful where you say stuff like that. People could take it the wrong way."

"Nah, man, Viktor's just _really_ annoying. Everyone likes him, but god sometimes I just want him to shut up."

"Hey, I'm one of those people who likes him. He's a good guy."

"Ooh-la-la~"

"Not like that, you fucker."

Laughter, footsteps, and they were gone. Yuuri could breathe again.

He waited a few more minutes before shakily standing up and leaving the restroom. He hoped those two guys were gone now. It would be really awkward if they realized he'd been in the bathroom to hear them.

Turns out Phichit was the last person left. He looked up from a bench with a grin, probably ready to make some joke about Yuuri taking so long, but his expression quickly sobered.

"Yuuri, you look pale," he said, rushing over, huge bags rustling behind him.

"I'm fine," Yuuri said, brushing off Phichit's concerned hand. "I just…need a moment."

"Are you sick?"

"No, there were some guys talking about me and Viktor."

Phichit scowled. "Those two guys just now? They just left, but I know who they are. Do I need to beat them up for you?"

"No, no, no, it's all fine. I'm just unnerved a bit. I guess."

"That's the exact thing you were afraid of, huh? Getting gossiped about."

"Yeah…"

Phichit shuffled his bags so he could put an arm around Yuuri's shoulder. "Well, screw them. I'll treat you to ice cream or something, as thanks for helping me out today. Or is it too cold for that?"

"Ice cream sounds nice. But you still owe me katsudon."

"I already have permission from my friend to borrow her car next weekend so it's all good."

"As long as you're not trying to get out of our deal."

Phichit gasped in mock offense. "Yuuri! I would never!"

"Maybe we should have dinner first, though?" Yuuri suggested.

"Ice cream for dinner," Phichit said. "That's final."

"Not very healthy."

"But delicious."

"And perfect for heartbreak."

"True. After the things I had to say to J.J. today, I need some comfort food."

"Maybe I should let you off for today," Yuuri said. "You could go home and watch bad rom-coms with Leo and Guang Hong while eating a tub of ice cream with a spoon."

Phichit linked his arm with Yuuri's tightly. "No. You're mine and that's final."

"Okay, okay." Yuuri grinned. "Which place should we go to?"

"I don't know. Let's decide as we walk."

Yuuri laughed. "We're awful at deciding, though. We'll be walking in circles forever."

"What is it in English? Eenie meenie miney mo," Phichit said.

"I don't know how it goes."

"Neither do I. Let's make something up."

"Oh my god."

* * *

Thanks to the ice cream, Yuuri's appetite was ruined for dinner, but he made dinner when he got home anyway. As he cooked, he regaled Viktor and Yurio with his recap of the game, embellishing it a little to entertain Yurio, who listened enraptured by Yuuri's tales of triumph and defeat.

To put on a good example for Yurio, he pretended to join the brothers for dinner, but Viktor secretly ate half his food when Yurio wasn't looking. He thanked Viktor for it after Yurio was sound asleep in his room.

"Of course," Viktor said, grinning. "More for me!"

"It's my fault for ruining my appetite before dinner. But I didn't want Yurio to not eat _his_ dinner, so…"

"About that, Phichit mentioned something happened after the game?"

Damn Phichit. "Nothing much," Yuuri said, waving his hands to dismiss Viktor's concern. "Just a little gossi—"

"Yuuri, you got hurt?" Viktor cried suddenly.

Yuuri jumped a little, startled. "Huh?" He followed Viktor's gaze to his hands, reddish patches of skin on the heels of his palms. "Oh. I fell and scraped them a little. It doesn't really hurt. My legs are where all the bruises are."

Viktor took Yuuri's hands in his anyway, and raised each one to his lips. "I'll kiss them all better for you."

Yuuri laughed. "Thanks."

"Did you get hurt anywhere else?"

"No, my arms are a little sore, but—"

He didn't get to finish the thought. Viktor immediately dipped his head and got to work pressing a flurry of small kisses from his shoulder all the way down to his wrist, then back up the other arm.

Yuuri was tickled with delight as Viktor covered him in kisses. Viktor reached up and held Yuuri's head firmly so he could place quick pecks all over Yuuri's cheeks, studiously avoiding his lips but making sure the rest of his face was well-loved. Yuuri giggled, giddy and pleased and high on Viktor's playful affections.

"Viktor, stop," he laughed.

Viktor really did stop. He kept his eyes on Yuuri's.

"No, I didn't mean that," Yuuri said quickly.

"Mm?" He placed a kiss on Yuuri's cheek. Yuuri blushed and smiled. Viktor kissed his other cheek.

But then he backed off and swung Yuuri's bruised legs up onto the couch in front of him. He gasped with surprise when Viktor pressed his lips to Yuuri's kneecap.

"I saved the most hurt part for last," Viktor said, words interspersed between flurries of kisses, "because the biggest hurt needs the most kisses to heal."

Yuuri wanted to reply with some witty piece of sarcasm, but the unexpected motion had stolen the air from his lungs. With Viktor's lips and hands fluttering all over his skin, he could hardly think straight.

"Viktor~" He let out a long, frustrated sound. "You're killing me," he moaned.

Viktor paused to look up at Yuuri with a mischievous grin, face flushed and eyes sparkling. "You're welcome to get your revenge later," he said with a wink.

Yuuri groaned again.

As he moved to Yuuri's other leg, the fingers of his left hand brushed the inside of Yuuri's thigh a little too high up, and all of a sudden it was too much. Too much, too much, too much.

"Stop!" he said, abruptly pulling his legs up to his chest and grabbing the nearest pillow as a barrier between himself and Viktor, who was left motionless and wide-eyed by Yuuri's reaction. Yuuri was shaking. Too much feeling. He needed to slow down. They weren't even dating.

Once the initial shock wore off, Viktor sat up and moved himself to the armchair, effectively putting a safe distance between himself and Yuuri.

"I'm sorry," he said, beating Yuuri to it.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Yuuri, you have nothing to be sorry for. Was it the comment?"

Yuuri shook his head. "The…my leg…your hand, it…"

Viktor thought for a moment, then his eyes widened. "Oh! Shit, I'm sorry, Yuuri. I wasn't paying attention. Ugh. I would've stopped me, too. That's, uhh…dangerous territory."

Yuuri nodded, not trusting himself to speak. This was _so awkward._

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I just…need a moment." He smiled a little and hugged the pillow to his chest. "Thanks. You got everything. Kissed me all better."

Viktor's expression hesitantly softened. "I'm glad."

"When…if…we start dating, and you get hurt somehow, I'll return the favor then."

Viktor's expression was worth the embarrassment of saying something so forward. There was so much affection in his eyes Yuuri felt privileged to be able to even witness it, let alone be the object of such a gaze.

"I'll look forward to it," Viktor said, voice smooth and gentle in a way he only ever used in quiet, tender moments like these. Yuuri's heart was full.

Yuuri turned to face forward on the couch and patted the spot next to him. Viktor only waited a moment to meet Yuuri's eyes to confirm he had permission before sliding back over to the couch. Yuuri held out his arms next, open and asking for a hug. Viktor moved to pull Yuuri in.

"No," Yuuri said, unmoving. He opened and closed his hands, beckoning Viktor. "My turn to hold _you_."

Yuuri was quite pleased when Viktor turned cherry blossom pink before shyly leaning himself onto Yuuri, hands clasped tightly at his chest. Yuuri got himself situated on the couch with Viktor in his arms, and soon they were both settled in a comfortable embrace. He lifted a hand to Viktor's hair and began to stroke it, gently. It was soft as ever.

Viktor curled a little in Yuuri's arms. "Yuuri," he said.

"Hm?"

"Yuuri, you're like a dream."

He didn't know what to say to such an odd and sudden statement, so he tightened his arm around Viktor and kept combing through his hair.

"How do you turn things around on me so quickly like this?"

"You showered me with affection, and now it's my turn."

There was a stretch of silence.

Viktor snuggled into Yuuri's chest. "No one's ever…no one's held me like this since…"

Oh. His parents.

All these years, and someone as tactile as Viktor had never been held. He was so naturally affectionate that Yuuri had almost missed the fact that even though Viktor reached out to others to ease the skin hunger, seldom did anyone ever reach back. The feelings of holding someone and being held were very different. Yuuri knew that as well as anyone. But Viktor always kept his feelings inside, keeping up his unflappable image.

Well, screw Viktor's image. Screw the people who gossiped and speculated about his life as if it were theirs to know. Viktor was just a man. Not a superhuman, not a display, just a lonely man who'd been through so much.

Yuuri dipped his neck to press a kiss to the top of Viktor's head. "I'm here now," he said, voice muffled. He squeezed Viktor tighter. "I'm here. And I'll hold you whenever you want."

Viktor shifted just enough that he could wrap his arms around Yuuri's waist, tightly hugging him back. There were no tears. Not even the telltale shaking of someone holding back sobs. Just a warm embrace and his face pressed into Yuuri's shirt. And yet, for some reason, Yuuri felt that Viktor was somehow crying.

* * *

 **A/N: Someone please protect these lonely Russians**

 **Do real people even gossip like that? I mean, I know they do, but I feel like the dialogue is forced. Oh, well.**

 **Sorry this chapter was so late, by the way! Last week there were some Life Things™ and I haven't been keeping up with the writing so I didn't have this chapter pre-written. So I decided to skip a week. But then this weekend, on Saturday, I suddenly got the chance to attend Otakon thanks to a friend. If anyone was there Saturday afternoon and saw Dawn from Pokemon walking around with Cloud from FFVII and maybe a few others, I was Dawn. Anyway, by the time I got home, I was dead tired so I couldn't finish up the last few lines. And then yesterday I just kept getting distracted and forgot lol. But it's done now! Tada! Here it is! I don't know if I like it or not, but it's done and that's what counts! (I hope)**

 **Thanks to everyone for the nice comments/reviews! They make me feel very encouraged :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: So uhh life happened, some of which I should've expected would get in the way of writing and some of which came out of nowhere. But um I'm back? Would've been back a lot earlier if I had any idea how to end this chapter. Please forgive me for it being short and awkward.**

 **Thank you for your kind words as always. They keep me going!  
**

* * *

Two days after the soccer game, Yuuri woke up with a sore throat. He drank some water to hydrate himself before going to campus, but by the time his first class was over, his entire body ached. Yuuri was officially sick.

He decided to skip his next class and called Viktor on the bus home. To his relief, Viktor picked up.

"Yuuri. What's up?"

"Sorry. Were you in class?"

"The professor isn't here yet, so I have a minute. Is something wrong?"

"I think I'm sick," he said.

"Is it bad?"

"Yeah. I'm on my way home now. I don't think I could make it through the next class." He sniffled. "Can you leave early to pick up Yurio today? Or I can ask Chris."

"Don't worry about Yurio; you get some rest. Text me when you get home. I'll tell you where to find the cold medicine and all that."

"I have some of my own somewhere," Yuuri said.

"Well, if you can't find it, let me know. I have plenty."

Yuuri did know that. When Yuri caught a cold over the summer, Viktor had brought out all his cold medicine for Yuuri to use to take care of him. The shared bathroom that Yuuri used had all the first aid stuff, but the medicine was locked away somewhere in Viktor's room so Yurio couldn't accidentally get into it.

He somehow managed to survive the bus ride, but he was in desperate need of some tissues by the time he made it into the apartment. He blew his nose twice in a row the minute he found tissues. Ugh. He was _really_ sick.

After taking some cold medicine, he collapsed onto the couch and mindlessly watched TV for several hours, head hurting, eyes zoned out, throat still sore. He hardly even noticed time passing, and before he knew it Viktor was home with Yurio.

Yurio came running in to greet him first. He put his little hands on Yuuri's forehead. "Katsudon, you're sick?"

"Yeah," Yuuri said weakly. "Don't get too close or you'll catch it." He sneezed.

"Oh, gross."

"I thought we could take it easy tonight and get takeout," Viktor said. "How does that sound?"

"Get me something light," Yuuri said.

"Of course."

At dinner, he barely had an appetite. He poked and prodded at his takeout, not feeling inclined to actually consume it. In the end, Yurio finished the rest of the appetizer Viktor had ordered for him.

He left cleanup and the nighttime routine to Viktor, instead going straight from dinner to his bed, falling into it and immediately falling asleep. Or, well, he tried to sleep. He found himself restless, not quite asleep but not quite awake either, kept up by his increasing discomfort. The medicine _should_ still be working, but it didn't feel like it.

He was still drifting in and out of consciousness when he vaguely registered the sound of a knock on his bedroom door. Vision bleary, he turned his head toward the sound.

"Sorry," Viktor said, only his head visible. "Did I wake you up?"

Yuuri shook his head. "No," he said, voice coming out croaky. He cleared it. "I was half awake."

Viktor came the rest of the way in, sitting at Yuuri's bedside. He had a glass of water in his hand. "Did you get any sleep? How are you feeling?"

"I slept a little. The medicine helped the fever, but I still feel sick." Yuuri looked at the water. "Is that for me?"

"Yeah. Can you sit up?"

Yuuri pushed himself upright and took the glass from Viktor, downing it bit by bit in small sips. He couldn't entirely breathe through his nose, so long gulps were impossible.

Once the water was finished, he put the empty cup aside on the nightstand. "Ugh, I feel so gross," he complained.

"You've been sweating a lot," Viktor noted.

"I'm not even hot, just…gross."

"Cold sweats," Viktor said, nodding. "Want a shower? It'll make you feel cleaner."

Yuuri declined the suggestion. "No energy," he said.

"I can bring you a washcloth to wipe down. Might help."

Yuuri considered that for a moment. He was _really_ uncomfortable right now, and he just wanted to stop feeling so sweaty so he could sleep.

"Should I bring it?"

"Yes. Please. Thanks," Yuuri said.

Viktor left for a minute, and Yuuri could hear doors opening and closing, and water running. Then Viktor returned with two miniature towels. The door half-closed behind him.

"I brought a damp one to clean, and a dry one to dry you off. You can take your pick."

Yuuri nodded. "Thanks," he said. He took the damp towel from Viktor, who watched as he rubbed it over his arms and shoved the blanket aside to reach his legs.

Once his limbs, stomach, and neck were done, there was one problem left: his back. He'd been lying face-up, so his back was sticky with sweat where it had been in contact with his bed. He was sitting up now, and he could actually feel the cold from where the air hit the moist patch on his shirt.

Yuuri grimaced as he peeled the shirt from his skin.

"Need me to do your back?" Viktor said, seeing Yuuri's dilemma.

Yuuri blushed. That would actually really help. "Thank you. I would like that."

Viktor sat on the bed behind him, and Yuuri blushed hard as he pulled the shirt over his head, leaving his arms in the sleeve holes. He gripped tightly at the bundle of cloth in his hands. This felt…intimate. But he _really_ wanted to wipe down his back, and he wasn't flexible to reach it himself.

Viktor carefully wiped him down. The moist sensation left behind by the damp towel wasn't exactly pleasant, but it was better than having sweat stuck to his back.

The towel paused. Yuuri felt the gentle press of skin between his shoulder blades, a soft and almost referent kiss.

His breath hitched. Viktor's lips lingered, and Yuuri could hear his own heart trying to escape his chest, a tingling sensation stretching from his heart all the way out the centers of his palms. He clutched his hands tighter. If his heart tore in two and escaped through both hands, Viktor was to blame. Viktor was the thief. Viktor was pulling his heart out by the strings.

Then Viktor drew away and continued wiping Yuuri down as if it were nothing, switching to the dry cloth. The rough texture did nothing to erase the lingering sensation of Viktor's lips on his back. He had a fleeting thought that he'd probably be able to feel it on his skin for the rest of his life.

Viktor finished drying Yuuri's back and set the towels aside. There was a soft rustle of movement, and Viktor's arms snaked around Yuuri's waist.

Viktor was _trying_ to kill him.

A cheek rested on Yuuri's shoulder. "Get better soon," came Viktor's quiet voice.

Yuuri could only nod.

Viktor left a quick kiss on his shoulder and wiped it off with two fingers as he stood up. Yuuri couldn't look at him. He pulled a new shirt over his head and let Viktor gently push him back so he was lying down again.

"Get some sleep." Viktor's voice was so gentle it ached. "I'll put Yurio to bed. Let me know if you need anything, okay? Text me and I'll come running."

Yuuri shook his head. "You sleep too," he mumbled. His body feeling cleaner and more refreshed, the tiredness was starting to take over.

"I will. But I'll be very happy to be needed, so don't worry about me and just ask for what you need."

"Okay."

Viktor smiled, satisfied. He brushed hair away from Yuuri's eyes. "Sweet dreams, Yuuri."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Yuuri woke up in another cold sweat. Groaning, he slowly tried to sit up, propping his head up on the pillows. He rolled his head to glance at the clock. 4:17am.

There was a full glass of water and a moist washcloth sitting on the nightstand; Viktor had been here after Yuuri fell asleep. He silently thanked Viktor in his head as he took a sip of water. It tasted delicious on his dry tongue.

He glanced around a bit, and frowned when he found no pill bottle anywhere to be seen. This headache was killing him, and the fever was definitely back. That dull, aching feeling of sickness saturated every bone in his body, and he wanted nothing more than to take another dose of medicine since the previous one had already worn off.

Yuuri had to pee anyway, so he struggled to his feet and found himself a little wobbly. He was lacking energy; was it the illness, dehydration, lack of food? He hadn't eaten in a while.

Thinking back to Viktor's request to text him if he needed anything, he sent a quick message:

 _Yuuri:_

 _I woke up. Taking more medicine. Thank you for the water._

The pill bottle was sitting by the sink, probably left there when Viktor had given him medicine earlier. After using the bathroom, he brought the bottle to the kitchen and sat down at the island to inspect the instructions. Partially because the instructions were hard to read and partially because he was too tired to process all this technical English, it took him a while to confirm the number of pills he needed to take. When he did, he got fresh water from the fridge and downed the medicine.

As he stood by the kitchen sink, he heard the sound of a door opening. Ah, so the text woke Viktor up after all. He feigned nonchalance as he listened to footsteps stop by the guest room door, then continue into the kitchen. He turned when Viktor came into view.

"Good morning," he said, feeling shy. They'd never been awake together at this hour before; it was an odd feeling.

Viktor smiled faintly. "Good morning. How do you feel?"

He stared down at the empty water glass. "A little better, but not much. The medicine wore off so I'm taking more. That will help."

"Make sure to drink more water. Do you want something to eat? You didn't have much for dinner. There's some microwave chicken noodle soup if you want it. Classic American sick food."

"Yeah. Thanks. I'm kind of hungry."

"Thought so."

Yuuri sat back at the island with another full glass of water, which he sipped on as he watched Viktor bustle around the kitchen to get the soup started.

"What do Russians eat when they're sick?" Yuuri couldn't help but ask. Did European countries have chicken noodle soup like the U.S.? If so, was Russia one of them?

"We drink tea with raspberry jam." He looked at Yuuri. "Why, want to try? We have some."

Yuuri made a face. Jam in tea? Well, he supposed it would be sweet, but…why?

Viktor laughed. "That's what I thought. Non-Russians think it's weird."

"No, I'll try it," Yuuri said.

"It won't offend your Japanese tea sensibilities?"

"I won't know unless I try, won't I?"

Viktor hid a smile at that. "Sure thing. I'll get some tea started after I start getting this soup heated up."

"In Japan, we eat, umm…porridge? I think is the English word?"

"That sounds like a good sick food," Viktor said.

"My mom would make it for us when we got sick. The kind she made was really delicious; sometimes I thought it was worth getting sick just so I got to eat her porridge."

"Does your family know you're sick?" Viktor filled the teakettle with water and placed it on the stove. He leaned down to turn the dial for the gas, listening to the click until the spark caught and the flame lit up.

"I didn't tell them," Yuuri said.

"Why not?" Viktor said gently.

"They can't do anything from so far away, and my mom will just worry. It's better to tell them afterwards when I'm already better."

"I suppose that's true," Viktor said. "You could always just tell them you have your incredibly handsome roommate taking care of you, so there's no need to worry."

Yuuri laughed. "If I say it like that, they'll just worry even more."

"Why?"

"Why would I go out of my way to specify that my roommate is incredibly handsome? They'll get suspicious."

"What? It's the truth. They've seen me. They'll get it."

"You're feeling rather vain tonight."

Viktor flipped imaginary hair, his bangs swooshing to the side. "Not vain, just honest," he said. The microwave beeped, the teakettle whistled, and soon Yuuri had chicken noodle soup and tea with raspberry jam sitting in front of him. Viktor sat next to him, watching closely with an anticipating grin on his face as Yuuri raised the hot cup to his lips.

Yuuri considered how to describe the flavor. "It's…sweet," he said finally. "It's good."

Viktor's smile grew. "Isn't it? Now eat and drink up so you get better."

"Yes, Mom."

"You need to drink plenty of fluids. Fluids, Yuuri."

"Got it, Mom."

"I don't remember raising you," Viktor said. He ruffled Yuuri's hair, almost making him spill the spoonful of soup he was in the middle of raising to his mouth.

"Hey, I'm trying to eat." Yuuri glanced at the blank countertop in front of Viktor. "Aren't you going to eat anything?"

"Not hungry. Unlike _someone_ , I actually ate my dinner."

"I'm sick," Yuuri said defensively.

"Yup, so eat up!"

By the end of the little meal, Yuuri was feeling full and satisfied, and the medicine had kicked in again so overall he was feeling much better. Still, it was now 5am, so he went straight back to bed to get some more rest. Viktor insisted on fussing over him again, bringing him water and asking repeatedly if he wanted to be tucked in _("No thanks; this is comfortable. Viktor, I said no thanks!")_ , but he did eventually get the peace and quiet needed to fall asleep.

* * *

Yuuri woke up at noon groggy and sore. The pervasive "sick" feeling was gone from his muscles, but his throat was scratchy, his nose was clogged, and his head was pounding. Progress, but definitely still sick.

He checked his phone and found texts from Viktor telling him about leftover breakfast set aside for him in the fridge, and when he'd be home with Yurio.

As Yuuri meandered about doing his (late) morning routine, he noticed the pill bottle on the bathroom counter and eyed it warily. Should he take more? He wasn't a huge fan of medication, but he _was_ sick…

In the end, he took another dose anyway, if only to relieve his pounding headache. The effects only lasted 6-8 hours, according to the bottle, and Yuuri's symptoms were still strong enough that they warranted the use of painkillers. Hopefully by the end of the day he'd feel better; the worst part of the cold was over, so now he had a week of runny nose to look forward to. Once this headache went away, anyway.

When Viktor and Yurio got home, Yurio immediately ran to find Yuuri. He stood at a safe distance, hesitating.

"Hey, Katsudon, are you feeling better?"

"A little. I'm probably still contagious, so you can't hug me yet, okay?"

Yurio's face wrinkled. "Who said I wanted to hug you? Stupid!" He ran off into his room.

Viktor sighed as he entered the room from the foyer. "I think he's hitting his rebellious stage early," he said.

"It's kind of cute," Yuuri said.

"Well, you're not wrong." His smile softened. "How're you feeling?"

"Better. My fever's gone."

"I'm glad. You were running quite a temperature yesterday. I'll go get dinner started."

"Sorry to make you cook again."

"I'm not going to make you do house chores when you're sick! You'd just contaminate it anyway and get us _all_ sick." He paused. "Well, not that I'd mind if it's me. Student council is trying to rope me into something again. It'd be a good excuse."

"Again? If you hate it that much, just say no," Yuuri said, knowing his words were nothing more than empty sentiment.

Viktor still had a hard time saying no to student council. His entire public personality was a blend of his penchant for doing the unexpected and his desire to fulfill others' expectations. When it came to student council, he leaned heavily toward the latter, wanting to keep up the impression of a dedicated former student body president. Even if Viktor said being sick would be a good excuse to get out of helping them, he'd probably put on a strong front and pretend he was fine.

Viktor ignored what Yuuri said, just as Yuuri expected. He approached the couch and put a warm hand to Yuuri's forehead.

"You're right. No fever."

"Told you. I took my temperature when I woke up," Yuuri said.

Viktor let his fingers linger by Yuuri's forehead, brushing his bangs to the side.

"Viktor, dinner."

"All right, all right."

"And not soup."

"But you're sick."

"You made me soup last night, and you left me soup for 'breakfast.' My last two meals have been soup. Please, Viktor."

"Fine, fine. Got it. No soup."

"I mean it, Viktor."

"You don't trust me?"

Viktor left the room with a laugh after Yuuri leveled an incredulous look at him. Alone with the TV again, Yuuri glanced at his phone to find a text from his mom asking if he had time to talk. Oh. His family was awake. And they didn't know he was sick yet.

Well, he was already feeling a bit better, so he might as well give them a quick chat and updated them on how he'd been doing recently, other than the whole "sick" thing. And no, his incredibly handsome roommate doting on him was not going to be a part of that report. Well, maybe a little bit, but definitely not in those words. Even if they _were_ true.

* * *

 **A/N: I made Yuuri a self-insert again. I avoid taking meds when sick. Not that I catch a cold more than once every year or two, though I do get short mysterious illnesses from time to time that aren't colds.**

 **Sorry for the blunt chapter ending :/ The next few chapters should be increasingly fun, and I'll try to get them out quickly to make up for my recent irregularity.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: "We're almost at the end, and they're _still_ not actually together?" Fear not! The final arc starts now!**

* * *

The apartment door swung open to reveal Phichit frowning on the other side. "You're late," he said.

Yuuri stepped into Leo and Guang Hong's apartment, catching his breath as he took off his shoes. "Sorry," he said.

"We realized there weren't any snacks in the apartment, so Leo and Guang Hong went out to get some while we waited for you."

"What movie are we watching?" Yuuri said. He'd been invited over for a movie night and had rushed over without checking for details.

"We haven't decided yet. The options are on the coffee table."

Yuuri sat on the couch and looked between the DVD cases laid out before him. Well, he certainly knew one he _didn't_ want to see, but two others were on his to-watch list. He compared back and forth between them, debating which to vote for.

"What were you doing before you came here, sleeping?" Phichit said, breaking the silence.

"Nothing. Why?"

"You do realize you made about five typos in a row. Even your corrections were typos. _Something_ had you out of it."

"I was in a hurry," Yuuri said. "You called me over so suddenly."

"You said you were free tonight."

"I am. I was just in the middle of something with Viktor." That something was another heated linguistics discussion, but he didn't need to get into it with Phichit, too.

"Sorry I had to pull you away from making out with your not-a-boyfriend," Phichit teased, nudging Yuuri playfully.

"That's not what we were doing," Yuuri protested.

"Mhm, sure it wasn't. Look, I'm no idiot. You come off as shy, but I know better. I'm sure you two do plenty of that sort of thing, relationship or no."

"I don't— We haven't—" Yuuri flushed. He couldn't believe he had to admit something like this even after all this time. "He's…never kissed me."

The confusion on Phichit's face made Yuuri feel even more embarrassed. But it was the truth. Not once had Yuuri and Viktor shared a kiss.

"Yuuri, wait. Are you for real?"

Yuuri nodded tersely.

"You…what? Give me a second, I need to wrap my head around this. I knew you two hadn't gone far because you wanted to take it slow all that. But not even a kiss?"

Yuuri fidgeted. "Well, on the forehead and other places. But not on the lips."

"Why?" Phichit was incredulous.

"B-because we're not dating. So we're taking it slow. Like…really slow. Painfully slow?"

"Listen to me, Yuuri. Tonight you are going to go home, march right up to Viktor, and smooch him. Right on those pretty pink lips of his."

"Phichit, I can't do that."

"And why the hell not? You two have been dating for how many months now?"

"…not dating."

"Close enough! This is insane. There's taking it slow, and then there's whatever the hell you two are doing."

Yuuri sighed. He knew it was absurd. But he didn't want to date Viktor while they still lived in the same house. And he didn't want to move out and leave Yurio alone either. Viktor understood, and agreed that the situation wasn't good for a relationship, and yet they kept falling while dancing around anything that would make it too "real."

"I'm not ready to leave that house," Yuuri said.

"Viktor's not going to—"

"Phichit, listen. We've been over this. Starting to date someone you already live with is just…a bad idea. I'm not ready for that. Neither is Viktor. But I don't want to leave Yurio behind, either; he's the reason I'm there, and he needs stability. The least I can do is be a steady babysitter so he's not being shuffled around to random people all the time."

"You're overthinking this."

"Phichit, you can't tell anyone what I'm about to say."

"I won't tell anyone anything about you and Viktor until you do so yourself, don't worry," Phichit said.

"Not just that." Yuuri curled his hands into fists in his lap. Might as well just come out with it. "I think I love him."

The words hung in the air, thick and heavy. Yuuri didn't dare look up, afraid of what kind of expression he'd see on Phichit's face. This entire situation was way out of Yuuri's league, and he was already in way too deep to the point where he could hardly hold back his feelings for Viktor. Honestly, he didn't care what people on campus thought anymore. Just as Viktor had once said of Yuuri, he wanted to tell everyone that Viktor was his and his alone. He wanted to tie Viktor to himself with more than just a pair of cheap rings.

But they were already living under the same roof taking care of a child, and it was just _so much._ Too much at once. Yuuri was scared. He loved Viktor, but he didn't think he was ready to live with a lover no matter who they were. They'd really skipped too many steps, and Yuuri was afraid to make that final leap from whatever they were to _that_.

"…oh, Yuuri. Please don't cry."

Phichit reached forward and Yuuri realized that tears had begun to fall from his eyes.

"Yuuri, it's okay. I'm sorry. I know you're scared. But Yuuri, you're doing well so far. I believe the two of you will be fine so long as you keep talking things out. You two do talk a lot, right? About these things?"

Yuuri nodded. "When something comes up, yeah."

"Good." Phichit grabbed a tissue box from a table behind him and dumped it on Yuuri's lap.

"Thanks," Yuuri said, voice thick with tears.

"Anytime. Now, does Viktor know what you just told me?"

Yuuri shook his head.

"Okay. Is there anything else you haven't told him that you need to get out of your system? I won't tell a soul, and I think if you talk about it you'll have a clearer head."

He shook his head again.

"Okay. That's good to know."

Yuuri blew his nose. Phichit was a good friend. The man was like a bulldozer sometimes, but when it came down to it, he was a good listener and a stable source of advice and comfort.

As Yuuri slowly got himself to calm down, Phichit sat lost in thought. Yuuri tried to keep his sniffling and nose-blowing quiet so as not to interrupt his concentration. If he was patient, Phichit's advice was always spot-on. He had the most common sense out of anyone Yuuri had ever met, and was much better than Yuuri at the whole "people" thing. He'd have ideas about how to handle this, and they'd be good ones.

Finally, Phichit looked up, his expression composed. "I have a plan for you. Want to hear it?"

Yuuri nodded.

"Okay. You're going to tell Viktor everything you told me just now. Not— Let me finish, all right? Not right away."

Yuuri sighed in relief.

"Take your time to work yourself up to it. You said you talk about all the other important things, and this is important. He would want to know. In the meantime, I want you to consider what would happen when you leave that apartment."

"But Yurio—"

"I'm still not done. We ended up separated after losing our place due to emergency, but it's been a year and I've been planning to start looking for a new place. We've all been planning to move, and we want to take you into account, too, whether it's the four of us or if it's just me and you. We were going to ask you about it after they talked to their landlord about the lease. If we can find somewhere affordable close to Viktor's place, you can still go over all the time to take care of Yurio or kiss Viktor senseless or whatever, but you'll have your own place to go back to when the day is over. That's what you two need, right? Some space."

Yuuri had thought about that, about finding his own place, but he hadn't wanted to impose on his friends. But here Phichit was, offering. It was tempting to jump at the chance, but actually finding a place close by within their price range might prove a problem considering Viktor's pricey neighborhood. Not to mention Yurio. Even if he stayed nearby, how would Yurio feel about losing someone who'd been living with him for so long? He'd already lost so many people.

"What do you think?" Phichit prompted.

"It makes sense," Yuuri said. "I'm still worried about Yurio, and whether we actually find a place like what you described."

"But if we do?"

"Then…I think it's a good idea, maybe."

"Think about it, all right? I'll start looking into apartments. Nothing will compare to the free room and board you're getting now, but I'll try to find a good deal. You just focus on working things out with Viktor and Yurio."

"Okay." It would take him a bit to wrap his head around the plan and feel comfortable with it, but it seemed reasonable and doable. Phichit was right; the way they were now was ridiculous, and they couldn't stay that way forever. Something had to change so they could move forward.

Phichit ducked meet Yuuri's eyes. "You all right?"

Yuuri nodded. "Yeah. Thanks, Phichit."

"You can talk to me about anything, you know. Always."

"Yeah. My head feels a lot clearer now. Thank you for listening."

"Anytime." Phichit leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Yuuri in a gentle embrace. He held it for a moment before pulling away and smiling. "Now, let's get this movie night started. The movie isn't going to watch itself."

"What about Leo and Guang Hong?"

"They're taking too long. Their loss."

"What if they get revenge by not letting us eat the candy?"

Phichit faltered. "…maybe we should wait."

Yuuri laughed.

* * *

Yuuri started testing the waters with Yurio first. He talked freely about things he was looking forward to doing with Yurio in the future. He asserted his role as Yurio's one and only babysitter. He told Yurio he was going to sleep over at his friend's place, and according to Viktor, when Yurio woke up to a Yuuri-less apartment he was anxious but didn't cry. Progress.

Viktor seemed to notice that Yuuri was up to something, but didn't pry, for which Yuuri was thankful. He still wasn't sure he was ready for that conversation. But Phichit worked fast, and in only two weeks he had found a place to live. They all toured the apartment together and agreed that it was nice. The building had few amenities, but the neighborhood was good and the price was right. They filled out some paperwork to stake their claim, then went out to dinner together to celebrate.

Yuuri could hardly focus on the food; his stomach was filled with nervous butterflies. Viktor didn't know. He'd just put his name down for an apartment and Viktor didn't know. They were signing the lease in a week and Viktor didn't know.

When he arrived at the door of Viktor's apartment, he took a deep breath to calm his nerves before putting his key in the lock. He stepped inside.

"How was dinner?" Viktor called from the living room.

Yuuri answered as he shed layers of coats and scarves. "It was good. I had Ethiopian food for the first time."

"Oh, how exciting! Did you like it?"

"I guess. It was interesting." He placed his wallet and keys in the basket by the front door and joined Viktor on the couch. Some nature show was playing on TV, but the volume was turned way down and Viktor's eyes were on Yuuri. His hand found Yuuri's and he smiled contentedly. Yuuri felt bad that he was about to break the pleasant mood.

He cleared his throat. "Phichit's been looking at apartments and I think he's finally found a place."

"That's good. I'm surprised he's still on Leo and Guang Hong's couch," Viktor said.

Yuuri shrugged. "He says it's comfortable. All three of them are going to move once the lease ends in December, though."

"Together, or…?"

"Yes. They're thinking about including me. So Phichit and I can be roommates again and we could all share a two-bedroom."

Yuuri could visibly see Viktor's smile faltering despite his obvious efforts to hide it. If the idea deflated Viktor this much, imagine how Yurio would feel. But this had to be discussed. Now or never.

"It's not official or anything," Yuuri added. "If…well, I talked to Phichit about a bunch of things and I think if we're going to be like, uh…this—" He squeezed Viktor's hand. "—we shouldn't be living together. I like living here, but…"

"…but we need some space to breathe," Viktor finished.

Yuuri blushed and looked at his feet. "Yeah."

"I know we talked about this vaguely a long time ago, but it sounds like you've been giving it a lot of thought. Do you have any official plans yet?"

"Phichit found a place really close to here so I could keep being Yurio's babysitter. I'll just sleep in my own bed and not your guest room. It's reasonably priced, too." He looked to Viktor nervously to see how he was taking all of this.

To Yuuri's pleasant surprise, the dismay had cleared from Viktor's expression and now he was merely thoughtful.

"I have two concerns," Viktor said.

"Okay."

"No, three."

"What are they?"

"One, Yurio. We'll need to explain this to him. You can't stay here forever, we all know that, but we also know how well he takes people leaving after the whole ring fiasco. Being close by will help, as will staying on as his babysitter. I really don't know how to thank you for everything you do for the two of us."

"I enjoy it," Yuuri said quietly. "He's a nice kid. I like him. And if I can help him out just by being there for him, I'm happy to."

"You're an angel, honestly. Moving on. Two: if you've moved out, how will I pay you for your services? That's more my problem than yours, but I know you'll be concerned about it."

"I am," Yuuri admitted.

"We've been using the money saved on his babysitting for skate lessons. And I know you're going to feel guilty if he has to cut back down on his private lessons."

Yuuri almost laughed; Viktor was exactly right. "I'm pretty predictable, huh?"

"We'll have to think on that one together. We have time to figure it out. And last but not least, my third concern."

There was a pause. Yuuri waited.

"I'm going to miss you," Viktor said, voice quiet.

A smile stretched across Yuuri's face. "Me too," he said.

Viktor's apartment had been his home for almost a year, and by now it _felt_ like home, too. Cooking breakfast with Yurio nodding off at the island, late-night study sessions with Viktor, the little sign on the guest room door in Yurio's rough handwriting that said, "Katsudon's room." If he signed the lease with Phichit, Leo, and Guang Hong, all that would change.

"This explains a lot, actually," Viktor said.

"Like what?"

"The sleepover, for one. You haven't stayed out overnight the entire time you've been here, so I was surprised. It was good that you got out for a night, but unexpected. It's almost the end of the year, so I figured _something_ was up."

Yuuri fidgeted. "Yeah. Sorry for keeping it from you."

"I do wish you'd have talked to me sooner, but it's fine. When do you plan on moving?"

"We don't have a date yet, but early January. We looked at it today and we're signing the lease next week."

"Wow!"

"Yeah. It's soon. Sorry."

"You're not moving until two months from now so we have plenty of time. And as much as I'll miss you, I think it'll be good for us." Viktor squeezed their hands. Yuuri squeezed back.

It really would be a relief to finally move out and not feel as anxious and guilty about submitting to his near-constant urge to touch Viktor. The pent-up sexual tension between them was almost palpable at times. It exhausted him.

Neither of them wanted to deal with the mess of dating a roommate, but they were already dating in all but name. It was about time to stop beating around the bush and just go out already…but only once Yuuri wasn't relying on Viktor for free housing.

God, they were a mess, the two of them. But they had their plan, and they were sticking to it. It's not like Yuuri could freeload here forever anyway.

"When are you going to tell Yurio?" Viktor asked.

"I was thinking this weekend. I want to do it before I sign the lease. It feels mean to leave him in the dark about it."

"I think it'll be fine," Viktor said. "He's grown a lot in the time you've been here. His attachment issues relaxed a lot, thanks to you. He trusts you."

"Yeah, but what if that's just because things have been stable? If I move, that throws everything out of balance again and he'll have to readjust. I don't want something like the ring incident to happen again. _We_ got something good out of it," he said, hand absently drifting to his chest, the ring hidden under his shirt, "but that was honestly a big issue."

"We'll cross the bridge when we get to it," Viktor said gently. "I'm glad you consider him so much, but he's not your responsibility; he's mine."

"I know," Yuuri said. "I just worry."

"I know you do. Thank you." Viktor squeezed Yuuri's hand one last time. "We're all home early tomorrow, right? How about you bring it up then?"

Tomorrow, huh? Well, that was fine…if he could figure out what to even say.

* * *

When the time came, he prefaced his explanation by repeating his promise that he isn't going away, and that he's still going to be Yurio's babysitter. Then he told Yurio the situation.

Yurio actually took the news pretty well.

"I'm not a kid anymore," he declared. "I know that being married is different from being roommates. You're just being roommates with other people."

"Exactly," Yuuri said. "I'm still going to be your babysitter when Viktor isn't around, just like I am now. I can't stay in this apartment forever when I can't even help you guys pay rent, so I'm living somewhere else, but that doesn't mean I like you any less. It's just adult things getting in the way."

"Adult things are stupid," Yurio said.

"They are stupid. But they have no effect on whether you and I are still friends. We _are_ still friends, right? Even if I don't live here?"

"You promised, so yeah," Yurio said.

"Good. I'll promise a million more times if I need to, okay? Moving out is sad, but I don't want you to feel _too_ sad about it. I'm going to miss living with you, though. Will you miss me, too?"

"Yeah. But you're not going away, right?"

"You're right. I'm not going away."

"And you'll still come to see me skate?"

"Of course. I'm so proud of you."

"Then it's okay."

Yuuri opened his arms and Yurio stepped into the hug. Yuuri held him tightly, his body small and fragile and precious in Yuuri's arms. "Thank you for being so understanding, Yurio. Leaving is sad, but I'm not going far, and things will only get better once I have my own apartment again. I promise."

"Like what?"

"That's a surprise. But I think you'll like it." Yuuri and Viktor both knew they were going to start a proper, official relationship once Yuuri was moved out, but he still liked to keep the illusion of it being a secret. It made it feel more fun, something to look forward to instead of a long, agonizing wait.

"Did you tell Viktor already?" Yurio said, glancing back toward the bedrooms where Viktor was taking an early shower to give them space to talk.

"I told him yesterday," Yuuri confirmed.

"What did he say?"

"He didn't like it either," Yuuri said, suppressing a smile.

"Thought so." He paused for a moment, frowning. "He's going to be really annoying about it, isn't he?"

"Probably. I'll scold him for you if he does."

"Don't worry, I'm good at keeping him in line."

Yuuri laughed. "All right, then I'll leave you to it."

Sure enough, Viktor was a _little_ insufferable, but it was nothing Yuuri couldn't handle. He just had to brush off Viktor's good-natured wheedling whenever the topic came up. And he did wheedle, quite a bit actually, pestering Yuuri even as he saw him off to sign the new lease one crisp afternoon.

"You should just sign _my_ apartment lease."

"Viktor."

"Though my lease isn't up until February."

"Viktor."

"What?"

"I'll miss you too, but I'm moving back with Phichit. You'll have to put that offer on hold for now."

Viktor raised his eyebrows. "For now?"

"We don't know what's going to happen after graduation, do we?" Yuuri said with a wink.

Viktor's cheeks stained a pretty pink. "Well. I'll have to keep that in mind when the time comes."

"Even if it does work out, that's a conversation for next year." Yuuri leaned up and kissed Viktor on the cheek. "I'll be back tonight. If I'm out late I'll call to say goodnight to Yurio."

Viktor grinned. He snaked his arms around Yuuri's neck and looked down at him with mischief in his eyes. "I feel like a househusband seeing you off to work. But like…in a good way. All you need is a tie for me to adjust and it would be perfect."

Yuuri laughed. "Usually it's the other way around. I'm always doing all the housework."

"Touché."

"Well, less now than before. You should let me do more, before I'm gone."

"We can have this argument all day, darling, but I should probably let you go before you're late."

"So you're not trying to make me late?"

Viktor let out a mock horrified gasp. "What kind of man do you take me for?"

"A clingy one."

He laughed at that, and left a kiss on Yuuri's cheek with a loud smack. "Stay warm."

"You too," Yuuri said. "But if I do get cold, I expect lots of cuddles when I get home."

"Yes, sir."

Phichit, Leo, and Guang Hong were waiting for him outside their new building, rosy-cheeked and shivering.

"Finally, you're here. Let's go inside," Phichit said, jumping around on his toes for warmth. Yuuri nodded eagerly and they entered the building with a code they were given by the building manager. Yuuri's heart fluttered nervously in his chest. This place was going to be his home in a month.

It was a simple apartment building, old and a little dingy, but well maintained. The retail office was on the first floor just down the hallway from the main entry, and the four of them chattered excitedly as they walked down the echoed hallway.

"I can't wait to have this official so I don't have to worry about housing for next semester anymore," Leo said.

"And we finally get to live with Yuuri!" Guang Hong added, grabbing Yuuri's arm in a quick side-hug.

"And I'll finally have a proper bed again," Phichit said.

As for Yuuri, he wasn't sure how to put his feelings into words. For someone who made such drastic moves in his life like going to college abroad, he sure was bad with change. Once their names were signed and the apartment was officially theirs, a strange feeling settled over him that he couldn't quite name until his friends nudged him, grinning.

"Welcome back, roomie," Phichit said, slinging an arm around Yuuri's shoulders.

"Yeah." Yuuri smiled. Above all the anxiety, a tentative bud of excitement bloomed in his chest. Time for the next phase of his college life to begin.

* * *

 **A/N: Phichit for best bro**

 **Thank you for reading, as always!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks as always for the reviews and such. This is the final chapter. Enjoy!**

* * *

Moving day. It had crept up on Yuuri, arriving before he was ready, but it had also taken forever, time crawling as he waited impatiently for the big day. His feelings were a complete mess, a strange combination of excitement and trepidation and sadness and optimism that had his mind spinning.

All his belongings were back in boxes, just the way they'd been when he arrived at Viktor's apartment almost a year ago. Yuuri sat on the bed of the now-empty guest room, looking around at the bare walls and empty furniture that had been cluttered with his things until not too long ago. The room had been Yuuri's, but now it was just a guest room again. After today, this place was no longer his home.

A door in the hallway opened, and Yuuri heard Viktor's voice.

"All right," Viktor said, "we're all ready."

"I'm ready, I'm ready," Yurio shouted, running into the guest room. "Can we start? I'm gonna help."

"Can I trust you with some of the smaller boxes?" Yuuri said.

"I can take big ones, too," Yurio insisted.

Yuuri stood up. "Most of them are bigger than you! But the small ones hold some very important items that I can only trust you with. Can you do it?"

"Of course I can!" Yurio huffed.

"All right. Let's get the first batch of things into the car."

"What about me?" Viktor said, pointing to himself.

"You can help me carry the box with all my books in it; it's too heavy for me to carry by myself."

"Too heavy even for you? Wow!"

"I mean, I _could_ carry it, but it would be a lot easier with two people," Yuuri said. If there was one thing he was confident in, it was his physical strength. That didn't mean he enjoyed carrying large, heavy, pointy-cornered cardboard boxes by himself, though.

It took them three trips to get the most essential boxes down to the garage. They spent a while playing Tetris with the boxes to get them to fit in Viktor's little four-door sedan, but somehow they made it all fit. Yuuri didn't have a lot of things, honestly; losing their apartment on such short notice last year had forced him and Phichit to sell off or toss a lot of the things they didn't want or need anymore. Yuuri was starting to amass some clutter again, but apparently not much, seeing as the majority of it fit in Viktor's car.

The boxes fit, but people didn't, so Viktor drove everything to the new apartment while Yuuri and Yurio walked. Yuuri's new apartment wasn't extremely close, but it was a walkable distance, about twenty minutes at Yurio's pace.

"See?" Yuuri said when they arrived at his new building, "I'm still close so I can come to see you all the time. I'll pick you up from the bus stop whenever Viktor isn't home and cook you dinner and everything, just like I've always been."

"You better," Yurio said. His lower lip protruded in a pout. "You promised. You're not allowed to break it."

"I still have the ring I share with Viktor, see?" Yuuri said, pulling the chain from under his shirt to show Yurio. "When you gave these to us, I promised I wouldn't leave. I'm living with different friends now so I can finish school, but I'm still here." He made a show of looking around, then squatted down to whisper in Yurio's ear. "Don't tell this to Viktor yet, but me and him will start dating once I'm all moved out. I'm going to ask him out later. We'll be real boyfriends."

Yurio cupped his hand to his mouth and whispered loudly in Yuuri's ear right back. "Viktor said the same thing." He stepped back and added in his normal voice, "It's a secret that I told you that, though."

Yuuri put a finger to his lips as a promise to keep the secret, but he couldn't hide his smile.

They met up with Viktor and the three of them went up to the apartment. Yuuri let them in, and they made trips between there and the car to get all of Yuuri's boxes in the room he'd be sharing with Phichit. He, Phichit, Leo, and Guang Hong had moved a lot of the furniture yesterday, and Yuuri and Phichit's things in particular were already set up. They'd both sold off their furniture from their old apartment when they left it, so they spent the past several weeks scouring Craigslist and making Ikea trips to get the furniture they needed for their bedroom. The rest of the apartment would be furnished by Leo and Guang Hong.

Once the boxes were all in Yuuri's room, Viktor and Yurio left to get ready for Yurio's skate practice. For the next phase, Yuuri would wait for Phichit and the others to arrive for their first trip, and join them in getting the rest of the things between Leo and Guang Hong's apartment and the new one.

They worked until the evening moving things between apartments and getting the furniture all set up, and the kitchen supplies, and the TV, and everything else. Moving was exhausting.

Once they'd decided they'd done enough for the day, Yuuri made a few last trips to Viktor's apartment to grab the last of his things. Viktor and Yurio were home, getting ready for bed. Yuuri said goodnight to Yurio on one trip, got distracted by Viktor the next. He kept organizing new stuff even when he got back to the new apartment, riding his momentum until the others started going to bed. As they headed into their rooms to sleep, Yuuri put a stop to his organizing and left the new apartment one more time.

This was his last trip to Viktor's apartment for the night, but this time it wasn't for any items; he'd already moved out the last of his things. This time, he was there for Viktor himself.

The move had exhausted him physically, but the anticipation of his impending talk with Viktor had him still high-strung on adrenaline. Viktor apparently left the door unlocked, so Yuuri walked straight in and locked it behind him. Viktor ran from the living room to greet him before he even made it past the entryway.

"Yuuri!"

He stumbled back from the force of Viktor's hug. "Hi," he said.

"Hi."

"…shall we sit down?"

"Okay. Yes." Viktor led him by the hand and they sat on the couch side by side, angled toward each other. Viktor's eyes were bright and his cheeks flushed, and Yuuri figured he probably looked the same. His heart beat a mile a minute.

"So," Viktor said. Yuuri jumped. "You all settled?"

Oh, they were starting with that. "Not quite," he said. "I put away a bunch of things, but I wanted to come back here before it got too late. I can't stay long, but I didn't want to wait for tomorrow."

Smiling, Viktor reached forward to take Yuuri's hands. "Impatient, are we?"

"Aren't you?"

"I've already been waiting for months; what's a few more minutes?"

"Well I don't have your patience," Yuuri said. He kept his eyes focused on their hands, squeezing them tight. "Can I tell you something?"

"Anything," Viktor murmured.

"I was actually really nervous about moving in with you. Not just because it was so sudden and all that, but um, I don't know if you've noticed, but you're _really_ hot."

Viktor laughed.

Yuuri continued, "I have a track record of falling for slightly older, attractive people who are nice to me. This entire thing was inevitable the moment I agreed to live here."

"So I'm your type, hm?" Viktor said.

"Yes."

"You already know you're mine, too, so I'll tell you something else in return. You said you liked me before you knew it, but I remember the exact moment I fell for you."

Yuuri looked up, curious.

"At the beginning of your second week here, I was home for dinner that Tuesday. I was coming in from the other room because I heard Yurio complaining about you taking too long to cook dinner and wanted to scold him. Of course, you beat me to it. And this is going to sound really stupid, but there was something about the way you cocked your hip and scolded him, that made my heart stop" Viktor smiled and brushed some of Yuuri's bangs to the side. "I've seen nothing but you ever since."

They gazed at each other for a long time. Just, looking. And breathing. Sustained eye contact had never felt so peaceful.

Viktor's eyes started to roam around Yuuri's face, drinking it all in, but Yuuri's eyes remained focused on Viktor's. He watched his reflection in Viktor's pupils, static in contrast to the jerky movements of Viktor's eyes. Viktor's irises tinted his reflection pale blue. Yuuri liked how he looked in blue.

After focusing on Yuuri's mouth for a while, Yuuri noticed Viktor's gaze flicking between his eyes and lips. He recognized the silent question, and let a faint smile drift onto his face as an answer. _Yes. Please do._

The brief moment between when Viktor began to tilt his head and the kiss felt surreal, as if Yuuri were living in a foggy dream. His heart beat echoed in his ears. One thump. Two thumps.

But the instant Viktor's lips found his, the fog cleared.

A hand gently touched the back of Yuuri's neck, guiding them together, and Yuuri could feel nothing but the odd but wonderful sensation of Viktor's lips. The only thoughts his brain could even fathom were, _Viktor, Viktor, Viktor._

After a single long, slow press of their lips, it was over all too soon. Viktor touched their foreheads together.

"Yuuri…" His name fell from Viktor's lips like a sigh.

Caution and propriety be damned, Yuuri was too caught up in the moment to stop the words from bubbling up from his chest. "I love you."

Viktor froze, and in response, so did Yuuri. But he held his ground. He'd already let it out, and there was no taking it back now.

"I love you," he repeated, more slowly.

This time, Viktor reacted with movement, pressing kisses all over Yuuri's face, all the meanwhile muttering, "My love, my darling, my sweetheart, my love, my Yuuri." He pressed their foreheads together again, cupping Yuuri's face. "You don't know how long I've wanted to say the same to you."

He did know. Viktor was a hopeless romantic, the type to use the word "love" as soon as possible. He knew that as well as anyone.

Yuuri had more to say. "While I'm confessing, I always wanted to see you with makeup, like you did as a freshman. I know it's not Halloween, but…" Viktor participated in a play his first year in college, before he quit theater to focus on other activities. Yuuri had seen pictures of Viktor in costume with light blush and mascara and his lips tinted pink. His hair was long back then, and someone had braided flowers into it. He looked like something out of a fairy tale, and Yuuri always wished he could've seen it in person.

Viktor nodded, their touching foreheads forcing Yuuri to nod along with him. "I can do that. I think I still have that costume somewhere. I'll even paint my nails."

"I'd love that."

"Are we confessing to each other?"

"I guess so."

"I have one. That ugly tie I hated? After your internship ended, I took it and got you a new one. Let me know if you want it back, but please never wear it again."

"Oh. I _thought_ I didn't recognize one of my ties. I thought I'd just forgotten I bought it."

"No, it was from me. Sorry."

"You did tell me beforehand that you were going to do that; I just didn't realize you actually did."

"One more thing. Remember how I stopped being physically affectionate way back when, and I said it was because I thought I'd gone too far for just a friend?"

"Yeah."

"I didn't lie, but that wasn't the whole truth." He paused to take a breath. "So, the day you got your necklace was the day I made myself stop. But um…actually, the night before that I uhh had a…a sex dream."

Yuuri's face became quickly and suddenly burning hot. "Oh."

"Yeah. Which, um, should've been fine, that stuff happens. But I was teasing you and kissed your neck and I suddenly remembered the dream and I kind of…panicked. And when we talked about it later, you said you didn't want to give Yurio the wrong idea, and…I guess somewhere in my head, it felt like we were already practically dating."

"We kind of were," Yuuri interjected.

"Yeah. But you said that, and it was like…" He pulled his hands away from Yuuri to gesture vaguely. "It felt like ice water. I realized that what I was doing wasn't okay. And I could've reacted better, but that's why I acted how I did back then. I should've talked it out with you, but I felt so guilty and scared, so I left you all confused while I protected myself. It was selfish and unfair to you, and I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. It's in the past. But thank you for telling me." He took Viktor's hands again.

"I don't deserve you," Viktor said with a smile.

"You deserve the world," Yuuri countered.

"Any other confessions, while we're at it?"

Yuuri thought for a moment. "Those dark jeans you have, not the black ones, the dark blue jeans. You look really good in them."

Viktor raised his eyebrows. "You don't think I know that, Yuuri? Why do you think I bought them? My ass is a gift to the world."

Yuuri blushed. "I'm saying _I_ like them on you."

"You're telling me that those jeans in particular are good to seduce you with," Viktor concluded.

Yuuri nodded, blushing furiously.

"Then I'll wear them on our next date. Maybe swing my hips a little as I walk."

 _"Viktorrrr."_

Viktor pressed kisses to Yuuri's knuckles one by one. "Yes, my love?"

He hid his face against the back of the couch. "You're going to be the death of me."

"Now, we can't have that, can we? What would Yurio think? His own brother, a killer."

"That's the only reason?" Yuuri teased.

Viktor grinned cheekily. "Why, should there be another?"

"Worst. You. You are the worst."

"But you love me anyway."

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Good. Because I do, too. I love you, Yuuri."

Viktor kissed him again. Three times, to be exact. Two long, one short. Yuuri was getting more comfortable with this. He wished Viktor would kiss him even more. Was that being greedy? Were they moving too fast?

Viktor's eyes traveled to Yuuri's chest, smiling fondly. "Remember when we got these?" Viktor lifted Yuuri's ring with his finger.

"Yeah," Yuuri said. "That was a long time ago."

"We got them more because of Yuri than anything else."

Yuuri nodded.

Viktor reached around behind Yuuri and fumbled with the clasp of the necklace. Yuuri stared as Viktor took the necklace and dumped the ring off the chain into his palm.

"So, I propose this: You and me? Boyfriends. And these rings?" Viktor placed his own ring next to it. "…would it overwhelm you if we gave them meaning?"

Yuuri swallowed. "What…kind of meaning?"

"How about we make them into real couple rings? Like…a sign that we're together. It might seem like a bit much, but I'm really serious about you, and we already have the rings. Is that okay?"

"Pair rings," Yuuri said, nodding. He smiled a bit. "Sounds like something high schoolers would do in Japan."

Viktor pouted. "Yuu~ri."

"No, it –it's sweet. And I'm serious about you too, so—"

Viktor pulled Yuuri into an abrupt hug, squeezing him so tight Yuuri thought he would break.

"Viktor," he gasped.

"Oops, sorry. Are you okay?" Viktor pulled back and fretted anxiously, hands waving.

"Yeah, that just hurt a little."

"Sorry, sorry."

Yuuri pushed Viktor's chest so he leaned away. He left his hand hanging there, palm down. He looked at Viktor expectantly.

"So? Mine first."

"Yes, right, yes." Viktor fumbled with the rings and, with a shaky hand, slid it onto Yuuri's right ring finger.

Yuuri opened and closed his hand a few times, admiring the way the ring glinted in the light. "Feels strange. I've never actually worn it besides the one time."

"You wore it more than me, on that necklace. Here, my turn." Viktor held out his hand, bouncing excitedly like a child. Yuuri laughed at his enthusiasm and took the ring to slide it back into place on Viktor's finger.

Viktor held it up to his lips and smiled. "And now I'll never take it off."

Yuuri smirked. "Good."

He took the initiative this time and pulled Viktor's hand out of the way to suddenly kiss him. His momentary courage was rewarded with the sensation of Viktor smiling under his lips.

His eyelids fluttered, opening just enough to orient himself toward Viktor's face before kissing him again, and again. He splayed his fingers across Viktor's back, combed through his hair, held his face, his waist. He wanted to kiss Viktor more and more, so he did. And everything Yuuri silently asked for, Viktor gave him willingly.

Arms wrapped around his neck as Viktor leaned back, slowly sinking into the couch. Yuuri hovered over him, a hand on either side of Viktor's torso.

It was hot. Everything felt hot. The very air burned inside Yuuri's lungs. He caressed Viktor's face, running his thumb along the smooth curve of Viktor's cheek. Viktor leaned into the touch, lips parting with a gentle sigh, and Yuuri kissed him harder.

He eventually broke the kiss, having forgotten to breathe at some point in there. Viktor was also breathing heavily beneath him, face flushed and blue eyes bright.

"Wow," Viktor said, breathy. "That was nice."

"Don't get used to it," Yuuri said, not sure if he should move. "I have no idea what I'm doing and it was super embarrassing. But you liked it, right?"

"I loved it," Viktor agreed.

Yuuri kissed the corner of Viktor's mouth. "Then good."

"Don't get me wrong; regular Yuuri is hot, but this Yuuri is _really_ hot."

If Yuuri wasn't already embarrassed enough, now he was sure he had to be red as a tomato. "I'm the same Yuuri," he mumbled.

"Yeah," Viktor said. "You're Yuuri. Amazing Yuuri." He still looked a little dreamy, which made Yuuri's chest buzz with satisfaction. But he only had a moment to absorb Viktor's dazed expression before the arms around his neck tugged him down and they were kissing again.

Yuuri had never really made out with anyone before, but this was nice. And Viktor seemed to be perfectly happy going along with it, his fingers curling in Yuuri's hair and a smile playing on his lips, so he must be doing something right.

The kisses eventually slowed. Yuuri peppered kisses around Viktor's face, down to his neck, back up to his face again. Viktor shivered when Yuuri's fingers grazed up the side of his neck.

"Um, this might sound forward, but how far are you planning on going?" he asked, voice deliciously breathless.

"This much is good," Yuuri said.

"Okay."

"For now."

Viktor smiled and agreed, "For now."

Yuuri placed a few more kisses on Viktor's cheeks, playing with Viktor's hair as he did so. "We just started dating, so we should take it at a normal pace, like any other couple," he said.

"Mm. Dating. Couple. I like the sound of you saying those words about us."

"I'm Yuuri Katsuki and Viktor Nikiforov is my boyfriend."

Viktor made a cute little noise and hugged Yuuri down to his chest. Yuuri laughed.

"You spoil me too much," Viktor mumbled.

"Someone's gotta do it," Yuuri said. He angled his head up to kiss Viktor again.

Viktor beamed. "One more."

Yuuri kissed Viktor on the nose and pushed himself back upright. Viktor propped himself up on his elbows, pouting.

"Yuu~ri."

"It's almost midnight. I should go home."

"But Yuuri~"

"You have to take Yurio to kindergarten tomorrow morning."

"I'll be fine."

"I won't be."

"Then you can sleep in."

Yuuri let out a long sigh. "You're a bad influence," he said.

Viktor grinned triumphantly when Yuuri fell back into Viktor's waiting arms. He ruffled Yuuri's hair. "Good boy."

"I'm not a dog."

"Hmm. That's actually a good idea. I've always wanted a dog. My mom didn't like all the fur so we never had one. Do you think Yurio would like a dog?"

"He seems like a cat person," Yuuri said.

"Then we can get both!"

"Are you forgetting that I don't live here anymore?"

"No." He sighed. "You're right, we shouldn't get pets if I'm not home enough to take care of them."

"Something to look forward to when you graduate," Yuuri suggested.

"Perhaps." Viktor's arms held him a little tighter. "I'm going to miss you," he said.

"I'm not far," Yuuri said gently.

"I'll still miss you."

Yuuri closed his eyes. "Yeah. Me too."

Viktor sighed. "I told you not to leave, but I really should let you get back to your new apartment. I'm not used to you having to go back at night. You've always slept here."

"It will take some getting used to," Yuuri agreed.

"I can't even walk you back. I can't leave Yurio home alone."

"I wouldn't expect you to. One of us is going to have to walk home alone, so it might as well be me."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it," Viktor said. "Hey, want to come over for lunch tomorrow?"

Yuuri grinned. "What a needy boyfriend. It's only been one day, and you already can't have a meal without me."

"Yuu~ri~ We're finally boyfriends so I'm going to spoil you to my heart's content before school makes us too busy. You spoiled me all year, and now it's my turn."

"I still have to finish getting settled in at the new place, but I'll see if I can take a break to join you for lunch."

"Then it's a date!" Viktor kissed him and they both got up from their embrace so Yuuri could get ready to leave. He shrugged his coat around his shoulders as Viktor took it upon himself to help Yuuri with his scarf.

"You sure you'll be fine going back alone?"

"It's a safe area, and I'm a man. I'll be fine."

"I know. I just want to make sure you don't mind. Text me when you get there."

"Okay."

One more long kiss. They awkwardly waved and Viktor shut the door and Yuuri was alone in the hallway. Time to go home.

It was so strange, thinking of somewhere other than Viktor's apartment as home. This would be a long adjustment period. To him, home was where Viktor was.

He wouldn't cook Yurio breakfast anymore. He wouldn't do the dishes while Viktor took Yurio to kindergarten. His collection of trinkets was on a different shelf in a different place. The room that had been Yuuri's was now back to being a simple guest room. The door sign Yurio made for him now hung on the wall above his new bed.

It's not that he regretting agreeing to live with his other friends. He liked them, and Phichit was his best friend. Rooming with them would be a lot of fun, but he'd still miss the homey feeling he had at Viktor's place. With Phichit and the others, they were obviously an apartment of college students, and it showed. But with Viktor and Yurio, it felt different, like a family.

He'd sort of cheated his way into having that domestic environment, and now it was time to earn that spot by working hard toward a healthy and supportive relationship with Viktor. Then, someday, he could return in good conscience not as Yurio's babysitter but as his—

This line of thought was dangerous, Yuuri thought, shaking the ideas from his head. The cold air nipped at his nose, but his cheeks were hot in reaction to the word he'd almost used. _Brother-in-law._ He was getting way ahead of himself, but god if the thought didn't make his chest flutter.

The apartment was dark when he got back. He'd already informed the others that he would be out late talking things out with Viktor, so they were all asleep. Yuuri got ready for bed quietly so as not to wake Phichit, and got himself comfortable under the covers.

He sent a quick message to Mari on Line telling her he was dating Viktor now, then turned his phone face down on the nightstand. He stared up at the ceiling listening to Phichit's steady breathing from across the room. Between the move and Viktor, his heart was still in jitters.

He picked up his phone again one last time to reread his most recent texts before falling asleep.

 _Yuuri:  
_ _I'm home. Going to bed now. Goodnight!_

 _Viktor:  
_ _Goodnight. Sleep well, love 3_

He set his phone aside again with a smile and a giddy feeling in his heart.

* * *

The next morning was hectic. Phichit grilled him for all the juicy details as the four of them unpacked boxes, and then Mari called and he had to do the same in Japanese for her and his parents. By the time he got to Viktor's place, he was quite frankly ready for the reprieve.

Viktor greeted him at the door with a kiss, which set off butterflies in Yuuri's stomach.

Wow. This was what it was going to be like from now on.

Just the thought made him grin uncontrollably.

"Happy to see me, mm?" Viktor teased, pulling at Yuuri's smiling cheeks.

"Of course." He pulled Viktor's hands from his face and gave him a quick peck on the lips. This time it was Viktor's turn to grin like an idiot. "What's for lunch?" he asked.

"Your favorite," Viktor sang, practically skipping back into the kitchen. Yuuri took off his shoes and hurried after.

"Don't tell me you're— You are, aren't you?" he deadpanned, examining the ingredients on the counter. It was everything they needed to make Yuuri's beloved katsudon.

"You wrote the recipe, so as long as I follow it I should be okay," Viktor said. "It's my first time making Japanese food. Exciting!"

Yuuri let out an amused puff of breath, resigned to let Viktor do what he wanted. It's not like Viktor couldn't cook, and despite his seemingly flippant personality, Yuuri knew how much of a perfectionist Viktor was. A lot of research into recipes and cooking videos had gone into this lunch idea, Yuuri was sure. Viktor would never try to make a new dish with only one messily written home recipe as his sole reference.

Yuuri slid into his preferred seat at the island. "Mind if I watch?"

Viktor beamed. "There's nothing I'd love more."

They chatted about their respective mornings. Apparently Yurio missed Yuuri already, no the surprise of no one. Both brothers did, in fact. Yuuri noted that neediness must come from their mother's side of the family since it was a shared trait between the brothers, which had Viktor laughing because apparently Yuuri was completely right about their mother.

"Oh, by the way, my family wants to meet you," Yuuri said, while they were speaking of families.

Viktor frowned and paused. "I already met them before, didn't I?" Yuuri Skyped home every weekend, and Viktor had popped onto the screen to say hi more than once.

"Not as my boyfriend," Yuuri said. Just the word still had him blushing. "They want to get to know you better. Personally, not through me."

"Hmm." It seemed that Viktor had already pounded the pork cutlets before Yuuri got there, so he went to work right away breading them. "If they don't mind speaking English, that's fine. I still can't speak Japanese for the life of me. I swear it's next on my list, but Yakov _insists_ I stick with Arabic until the end of the school year. Says it'll look good on my resume."

"You don't need to rush it. My family knows enough English to get by. And I can help you with Japanese any time you'd like; I've already gotten so much Russian help from you and Yurio, so you can think of it as returning the favor."

"We'll have to make plans for it sometime," Viktor said. "For now, about your family; just let me know beforehand and I can join you for a bit when you're Skyping them."

"I need to make you get Line," Yuuri mumbled to himself.

"Hm?"

"You should get Line. It's a common chat app in Japan. It's free so you don't have to worry about texting internationally. Mari's pretty good at written English, so you could talk to her easily. Actually, I think she wants to interrogate you."

"Ah, of course. She must make sure I am not leading her baby brother astray. You are quite loved, Yuuri."

Viktor finished breading the cutlets and placed them in a hot pan. While they were frying, he got to work preparing the sauce and chopping the onions. Yuuri absently checked his phone during the lull in conversation as Viktor bustled about the kitchen. He had a few texts from Phichit waiting for him.

 _Phichit:  
_ _I know u get overwhelmed easily so u might wanna check your fb notifs soon before there's more  
_ _I know u have them turned off on ur phone but when u open the app ur gonna have a ton_

Oh boy. Yuuri could already kind of guess what this was about. Viktor had wasted no time going public on social media, so of course there would be comments and likes to look at. He wondered how many people now knew they were dating. Viktor was popular and probably had a ton of Facebook friends; Yuuri didn't have to use it very often to know that much.

He opened the app, and sure enough, he was greeted by an unusually high number in the little red notification box.

 ** _Viktor Nikiforov_** _with_ _ **Yuuri Katsuki  
**_ _14 hrs_

 _In a relationship with_ _ **Yuuri Katsuki  
**_ _Yesterday  
_ _See relationship_

 _Phichit Chulanont, Kenjirou Minami, and 82 others_

 _View 4 more comments  
_ ** _Christophe Giacometti_** _Took you two long enough  
_ ** _Phichit Chulanont_** _Yeahhhhh boiiiiiii  
_ ** _Mila Babicheva_** _Congratulations!  
_ ** _Kenjirou Minami_** _Omgomgomgomg_

* * *

 ** _Viktor Nikiforov  
_** _14 hrs_

 _Yuuri moved out today, but every end brings a new beginning! Friends, I have a year's worth of precious memories to share with all of you, so prepare yourselves for the onslaught of Viktor Nikiforov, World's Most Adoring Boyfriend and his tales of Yuuri Katsuki, the Most Beautiful Man in the World_

 _Phichit Chulanont, Christophe Giacometti, and 25 others_

 ** _Christophe Giacometti_** _I've already been hearing about it all year and you're telling me it's going to get worse?  
_ ** _Christophe Giacometti_** _And I beg to differ on who the most beautiful man in the world is (It's me. Yuuri can take second)  
_ ** _Viktor Nikiforov_** _We are no longer friends  
_ ** _Georgi Popovich_** _This is beautiful. True love. Congratulations!_

* * *

 ** _Viktor Nikiforov_** _added 37 new photos with_ _ **Yuuri Katsuki  
**_ _14 hrs_

"Viktorrrrr."

"What is it?"

"I don't care about the other stuff, but what's with all these pictures?"

Viktor turned around and grinned. "Oh, those? I've been saving them up for months. Aren't they great?"

"There's one of me sleeping. When did you even take all these?"

"Oh, here and there. I have a whole folder dedicated to you. Want to see?" Viktor wiped his hands on his apron and opened up his phone, tapping furiously. He shoved it at Yuuri. "You have to promise not to delete them, but you can look. Let me know if you like any of them. I'll send it to you."

"Why would I want a photo of myself?"

Viktor pouted. "They're cute. I couldn't share them until now so I'm really excited."

"I kind of noticed," Yuuri said, scrolling through the album of 217 photos that were indeed all pictures of him. Most of them were of him and Yurio: playing at home, on their trip to the zoo, that time Yurio stole Viktor's phone to take a bunch of selfies with Yuuri. Considering the remarkable amount of pictures Viktor kept on his phone, Yuuri supposed he should be glad Viktor only posted a fraction of them on Facebook.

He paused on one particular photo. It was one of the most recent, from a few weeks ago when Viktor insisted it had been too long since the last time Yuuri let him take selfies together. There were a few of them smiling, a few with one of them kissing the other on the cheek, and then this one.

At one point, Yuuri had gotten tired of taking cutesy photos for Viktor and decided to make ugly faces at the camera instead. Viktor went along with it and soon they were both pulling faces, Viktor snapping away the whole time. Most of those hadn't survived whatever criteria Viktor used to organize the photos in his Yuuri album, but this last photo was of both of them laughing, eyes squinted closed and grins wide. The camera was a little tilted, and the quality just slightly blurry. But they looked _so_ _happy_.

"I didn't see this one," Yuuri said.

Viktor paused his cooking again and leaned over to see which photo Yuuri was talking about. "Ah. That's a good one," he said.

"Why didn't you post it, then?"

"Yuuri, if I posted all the good ones, I would've had to post the whole album. I didn't want to _completely_ overwhelm you, so I just picked some of my favorites to show off. If you like it, I can add it later."

"No," Yuuri said absently, "that's okay." He stared at the image. "Is it okay if I send this to myself?"

"Of course!"

After saving it on his phone, he uploaded the picture to Instagram, tagged both of them in it, and captioned it with a single red heart emoji.

While his friends tagged him in their photos all the time, Yuuri hardly ever posted photos, let alone ones of himself; even his profile pictures were always food. But this felt special. It was time to let the world know how happy he and Viktor made each other.

They'd moved so slowly that yesterday was their first kiss, but Yuuri had come to love him much sooner than that. When was it, exactly? The feeling had crept up on him without him even realizing it. They'd been in an unofficial relationship for less than four months, and an official relationship for a day, yet he already didn't want to imagine a future without Viktor and Yurio in it. He wanted to be there as Yurio grew up. He wanted to shower Viktor with affection, and be spoiled in return.

Viktor met Yuuri's eyes for a moment and smiled before returning to his cooking. The atmosphere was peaceful and domestic. No more or less so than usual, but today Yuuri was very aware of even these small things he'd become so accustomed to.

The corners of Viktor's eyes wrinkled with a smile when he noticed Yuuri staring. "You're making it awfully hard to focus, Yuuri," he said.

"Am I?" He didn't stop staring.

Viktor sighed and turned off the burner with a click. "Lucky for you, I'm done." He served the katsudon using photos on his phone as a reference, then slid into his seat next to Yuuri, two steaming bowls of food in front of them. "So impatient," he said.

"I'm hungry, okay?" Yuuri said. He picked up his chopsticks. "Smells good."

Viktor watched with an anticipatory smile as Yuuri took his first bite. Sure enough, Viktor could do nothing wrong. The man was good at everything.

"Tastes good, too," Yuuri declared.

"Yes!" Viktor cheered.

Nothing would ever beat Yuuri's mother's cooking, but this katsudon made with love by his boyfriend easily took second place.

Yuuri didn't want to go back to his new apartment to unpack, still tired from the day before. So they took their time eating together, washing the dishes together, idling in the kitchen talking together. This was their first full day "officially" together, and their first full day living apart, so surely no one could blame them for lingering in each other's presence for just a little longer.

On Yuuri's second day dating Viktor, their kisses taste like katsudon, and katsudon had never tasted so good.

* * *

 **A/N:** **And that's the end! The kiss has happened, they're actually legit dating now instead of whatever weird uncommitted relationship they were doing before, and how they handle things from now on is up to them. Thanks for watching over them! They were kind of a mess, but I hope they were an enjoyable mess ^^**

 **Sorry about all the delays toward the end; unemployment has me totally burnt out these days. But I finished in the end, so it's all good I guess. The nice thing about writing slice-of-life style is that I have an excuse to kinda jump around and only write scenes and dialogue that I really like. Skim over the plot stuff, focus on the pointless fluff. This fic was more self-indulgent than anything else, so I hope it didn't frustrate anyone too much haha**

 **I have some ideas about how they'll handle life things in the future (graduation, jobs, etc.) that sparked a bit of an epilogue, but I don't know if/when that'll ever be finished. I'll post it eventually, complete or not, so keep an eye out if you're interested. Otherwise, this story is at its conclusion.**

 **Thanks again for reading!**


	13. Epilogue

**A/N: A little bonus because I couldn't help myself, set about two years later. Enjoy!**

* * *

Graduation. A day Yuuri had rehearsed in his head a million times by now, but he still wasn't ready for it. Ready or not, the day arrived anyway, and Yuuri's stomach was filled with butterflies.

He'd spent the whole morning reassuring himself, right from the moment Viktor shook him awake in the bed they often shared. Yuuri did have his own room, the same one he'd used when he was a live-in babysitter, but he ended up in Viktor's room a lot sleeping in each other's arms. And with how nervous he was, he'd needed that comfort and reassurance last night.

"Mila will take Yurio. Minami-kun is giving the tickets to my parents. I'll walk with Phichit. Mila will take Yurio…"

"It's uncomfortable!" Yurio complained loudly.

"But you look so handsome," Viktor said, smoothing Yurio's shoulders. He had on a little dress shirt and tie, but he kept pulling at it and Viktor had to keep re-tying it.

"You guys should really get going," Mila said, glancing at the time on her phone.

"But Yurio—"

"I've got him, Viktor, don't worry. Hurry up. Your boyfriend is already nervous enough without you making the both of you late."

"…is giving the tickets to my parents. I'll walk with Phichit…"

Needless to say, it had been a long morning. And it was only about to get longer. Viktor said it wasn't a big deal, and they'd only be on the stage for a moment to grab their diploma and shake a few hands, but part of Yuuri was still convinced he was going to fall on his face and embarrass himself, so the anxiety didn't leave. It was a big day, after all.

Both of them were graduating today, but Viktor was the only one starting his career. He had a job lined up as an ESL teacher at a local academy, one he'd been working at as a teacher's assistant. Yuuri was actually taking over Viktor's old assistant job, while Viktor was promoted to a full-fledged teacher.

Yuuri had decided on continuing to grad school, pursuing a similar program to the one Viktor did— same department, different degree. Once he moved back to Japan, it was highly unlikely he would ever truly leave again. So even though he'd have to do more grad schooling in Japan anyway to get his teaching certification, he wanted to pursue graduate studies in the states while he was still here.

They were to walk into the auditorium by degree, so Yuuri was with Phichit and a few other classmates he knew well by now due to having them in all his classes. They'd gotten ready as a group with Leo and Guang Hong, but the rest of their friends were off with their own departments so it was just Phichit and Yuuri pairing up for the graduation procession.

Or, it was supposed to be just Phichit and Yuuri, but Viktor had wandered over to them from down the hallway. He was _thrilled_ to be graduating along with Yuuri, and it seemed nothing could stop his enthusiasm, not even professors telling him to stay with his degree program. Right now he was giggling at how funny Yuuri looked in a cap and gown. Not that Viktor looked any better in the getup, but he was keeping his cap off until they had to walk because he was too vain to wear it any longer than absolutely necessary. Yuuri didn't really care, so he kept his hat on and let Viktor have his fun.

"I swear, Viktor, I'm going to get my hands on as many pictures of you in the ridiculous graduation cap as I can, and I'm going to draw diagrams on them demonstrating the size of your forehead," Yuuri said.

"My forehead is beautiful," Viktor said, pouting.

"Your forehead is beautiful," Yuuri agreed, "but it is also huge."

"Yuuri's mean~" Viktor whined to Phichit, as if Phichit wasn't going to take Yuuri's side on this. He loved teasing Viktor almost as much as Yuuri did. And Yuuri liked it, because it meant Phichit wasn't making fun of _him_.

Suddenly Viktor nudged Yuuri's arm. "Hey, Yuuri, your phone is going off. It says it's from your sister."

Yuuri glanced at his phone and gasped. He had a series of unread messages:

 _Mari nee-chan:  
_ _We're here  
_ _This taxi is taking forever. If he thinks he can cheat us because we're foreigners he has another thing coming  
_ _We're on your campus. Your friend is showing us around. He's really hyper  
_ _I hope since you're not answering that everything is going well  
_ _Facing the stage, we're seated toward the left about ten rows up  
_ _Close to the front  
_ _Do you know what side of the auditorium we should be on? Should we move?  
_ _The ceremony's starting in five minutes. See you soon!_

His eyes watered with emotion.

"What did she say?" Viktor said. He was concerned.

Yuuri shook his head and showed Viktor the messages even though his Japanese still wasn't good enough to read most of it. "They're in their seats. Mari nee-chan said, 'see you soon.'"

Viktor smiled gently. "You miss them a lot, don't you?"

Yuuri could only nod.

Viktor's arm rested around Yuuri's shoulders, his thumb rubbing Yuuri's shoulder in a soothing motion.

This was the first time Yuuri would be seeing his family since they saw him off at the airport on his way to his first semester at university here in the states. The problem with living abroad was how little he got to see his loved ones. Even after this long period without family, he was about to spend another few years here for grad school, and then…

Then what? His dream was to become an English teacher back in Japan, but Viktor's was to be an ESL professor here. Viktor had a home with Yurio in the U.S.; Yuuri wanted to eventually return to Japan to get his teaching certification. Their lives were set to end up halfway across the world from each other. They still had a few years left before Yuuri was planning to go back to Japan, but now that the day of their graduation was here, it felt like a reality check.

If Yuuri stayed with Viktor, he'd have to give up his childhood dream and resign himself to missing family for the rest of his life, just like he had the past four years. Yuuri already knew that even yearly visits wouldn't be enough. He loved his family, and everything he did now was so he could fulfill his goals while staying close to them.

And if Viktor followed Yuuri, he'd have to uproot his and Yurio's lives to move to a country whose language they couldn't speak, just for the sake of his and Yuuri's relationship.

Living out their lives on separate continents just wouldn't work. It would be way too painful. But one of them had to give something up for the sake of staying together, or else they'd have to part.

Yuuri's grip on his phone tightened. They'd never talked about this in detail. Discussions of the future always stopped at the end of Yuuri's graduate studies. They both agreed that they didn't know what would happen after that, just that they'd try to figure out a way to stay together when the time came. But after today, they were one step closer to that fateful decision, and Yuuri's heart was filled with anxiety.

Would they stay together after that? Breaking up suddenly felt inevitable, the easiest and most obvious option, and Yuuri _hated_ it. He didn't want to feel like this. He missed his family so badly that it physically ached. He wasn't even sure how he would make it the next few years, let alone the rest of his life. But the only way to stop that from happening was to leave Viktor.

What did that make their relationship? Would they be able to compromise in order to stay together, or would the obvious option win? They'd only committed until the end of Yuuri's schooling, and the rest was up in the air. Over the next few years, they both wanted to find a way to stay together…right?

He already knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life Viktor, and he _thought_ Viktor felt the same, but he needed to be sure. He needed to know. He had to ask now before the anxiety overwhelmed him.

He pocketed his phone and turned back to Viktor.

"I'll do this again properly later, but…" He grabbed Viktor's hands tightly, pulling him slightly forward. He looked Viktor straight in the eyes. "Viktor, marry me."

Viktor's eyes widened, his smile grew, and next thing Yuuri knew Viktor had thrown his arms around Yuuri's shoulders and was squeezing the life out of him. A choked sob escaped Viktor's throat.

Yuuri reached around to pat Viktor on the back. "So, if I formally propose at an unspecified later date, you'll say yes?"

"Of course I will," Viktor mumbled, hugging Yuuri with all his might. He pulled back to look at Yuuri's face, a hand on each shoulder. His eyes were tender. "Of course I will."

Yuuri smiled. The tears in Viktor's eyes made him tear up, too. "Okay."

"What brought this on?"

"I'm worried about the future," Yuuri confessed. "The next graduation I'm in, I don't know where we'll be. But I want to stay with you. We don't have to get married anytime soon, when we still don't know where we'll end up. I just…needed some reassurance right now. And we haven't talked about our future yet, but I want to. I've been dreaming of marrying you for a while now."

"To be honest," Viktor said, "so have I."

He leaned down to kiss Yuuri, soft and sweet. The rest of the hall fell away. It was just the two of them here, the faint chaffing of their heavy robes, their arms reaching for each other, the soft press of their lips.

"Viktor."

They pulled away. Yakov was standing by them, frowning.

"I know you two can't stay away from each other for more than a minute, but can you please get back to your department? We're going to start walking any second now."

"Sorry," Viktor said. He turned to Yuuri. "Um."

"We have all the time in the world to talk about this. Sorry to spring it on you so suddenly."

"No, don't apologize. I'm happy." In fact, he'd never looked happier.

But they had to finish out their big day before any serious talking could happen. Yuuri stepped away from Viktor. "You know where to meet me after the ceremony. Go."

Viktor still looked like he was about to cry, but he squeezed Yuuri's hand and rushed off to where all the other TESOL students were.

Phichit yanked on Yuuri from behind, bringing him into a crushing back-hug. "Congrats," he said in Yuuri's ear. The other classmates around them who'd witnessed the exchange offered their congratulations as well. Yuuri was burning all the way to his ears.

"We're not engaged," he muttered.

"But you will be," a classmate said.

"Yeah, when's your 'unspecified later date?'" Phichit said, grinning.

"I, umm…when we're in Japan," Yuuri admitted.

Phichit squealed with delight, but the conversation was cut short as the line of students started moving forward, slowly snaking their way toward the auditorium, beckoned by the echoes of "Pomp and Circumstance."

Yuuri had actually thought a lot about proposing to Viktor — provided Viktor didn't propose first — and Japan was the most popular setting for his daydreams. And their trip to Japan was coming up soon. Yuuri's family had chipped in to buy three plane tickets as a graduation gift, so after Yurio was done with school, they were all going to fly to Japan and stay at the onsen for a month.

In Yuuri's mind, this was a big step. Today Viktor would meet his parents in person, and soon, Viktor and Yurio would be in his hometown for a _month_. It was the perfect timing for one of those grand romantic gestures Viktor loved so much, one that would put words to what this trip meant to Yuuri and make it concrete.

One morning they'd wake up early to take a walk down to Hasetsu's beach while the air was still misty and blue, and the only sound was the waves lapping the shore. They would have walked like this several times by then, but never so early in the morning. But Yuuri would wake up early this once, to experience these early moments with Viktor. At some point, he'd slip his hand from Viktor's, go down on one knee, and ask Viktor in Viktor's mother tongue, "Ты же́нишься на мне?" _Will you marry me?_

He was hesitant to spring such a thing on Viktor when they hadn't even talked about marriage yet; Viktor loved surprises, especially romantic ones, but if they weren't on the same page, it would only end up in an awkward and stressful talk about what will happen post-grad. So he'd scrapped the idea before it went any further than a pleasant dream.

But now he knew exactly what would happen next.

Viktor would cry and say, "yes." They'd kiss. They'd hold hands all the way back to the inn, where Yuuri would report the good news while Viktor still had tears rolling down his cheeks. His mother would cry, his father and Mari would pretend not to be crying (but they totally would be), Yurio would be _psyched_ , and that night they'd celebrate the engagement over his mother's katsudon, all hugs and smiles.

But that wasn't for two more months. For now, they still had the same old tungsten rings they'd had since the beginning. Yuuri couldn't wait until Viktor replaced his with gold.

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, that should really be the last of this story for me! Thanks for coming along for the ride! I needed to make sure they'd still work out in the future so I ended up writing this just to satisfy and reassure myself. I know some people prefer to imagine themselves where life takes characters in the future, but for those who want to hear what the rest of my ideas were as the author...**

 **I headcanon (can one headcanon things for their own story?) that they do eventually move to Japan together after Yuuri graduates. Yurio doesn't mind, and actually there's a good international skating coach in the nearest big city to Yuuri's hometown, about half an hour away, so they move to that city. Yurio trains there while going to an international school, Viktor gets a teaching job at a tutoring academy place, and Yuuri of course fulfills his dream of being a high school teacher. Plus, this gives Yurio more immediate access to family besides Viktor; his parents-in-law basically treat him like a grandkid. Idk enough about Japan to know if it's realistic for grade school teachers to be openly gay in today's Japan, but we'll just say they're in a tolerant area. Yuuri's probably pretty secretive about his private life around students anyway, though Viktor's students will have heard alllllll about his ~wonderful~ husband and their cute dog (he doesn't name any names, but students often manage to put two and two together). They visit Yuuri's parents at least once a week. Most weekends Yurio has to focus on training for competitions, but there's an ice rink in Hasetsu so sometimes his coach lets him go along to relax in the hot springs if he's getting too stressed.**

 **...I think that's all I've got. Those are just my own thoughts on how they'd end up in this AU. Anywho. I hope it was fun! Thanks for cheering for me until the end :)**


End file.
